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AJ/VV V {fc/VvC*-— 


Emergency Aids 

FOR 

Stalled Motor Gars 

An up-to-date selection of Tried 
and Tested Emergency Aid Helps 
and Repairs for die Stalled Motor 
Car. This book contains 

Invaluable Information for Every 
Motorist 


* 

PRICE, $2.00 


INDEX IN REAR OF THE BOOK 


Published by 

THE MERIT PUBLISHING COMPANY 

LANCASTER, PENNA. 










COPYRIGHTED 1920 
BY 

THE MERIT PUBLISHING CO. 




AUb 30 13^0 
© Cl, A 5 7 6 3 5 3 





INTRODUCTORY 


In presenting this work to the motoring public it 
has been our constant aim and desire to accomplish 
the three fundamental principles for which it was 
written. 

1st. Simply and concisely to give to the motorist 
those “ first aids ” which will enable him, in almost 
any emergency, to still keep going until he arrives 
at the nearest garage where permanent repairs can 
be made. 

2nd. Many of the principles and repairs involved 
are New to the average motorist but they can be 
depended upon, from a practical standpoint, to ac¬ 
complish what they are intended to do. 

^3rd. The saving in time and expense to the mo¬ 
torist is one of the main features involved. The 
knowing of what is wrong and how to remedy it 
Immediately. As outlined above this handbook con¬ 
sists of practical information. In its compiling there 
has been no attempt made to produce it as a “ liter¬ 
ary work” or one whose “ flowery rhetoric” flows 
from off a silvery tongue.” It is entirely the prac¬ 
tical view and knowledge which we are giving you. 
When you are out on a country road, twelve and a 
half miles from nowhere; when your motor goes— 
wheeze, whang, and blooey and then refuses to go 
at all; when you don’t know what is wrong and can’t 
apparently, find anything wrong; when the nearest 



4 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


’phone is at a farm house a mile and a half “ cross 
the fields:” when there is a pleasant little thunder¬ 
storm coming up behind and no car showing up on 
the road, then the chances are greatly in favor of 
the motorist using enough rhetoric to fill several 
booklets the size of this one. So we shall confine 
ourselves to the issues involved and save both the 
time and temper of our fellow motorists by giving 
them in this handbook the little secrets of the expert 
repairman who can in a few moments time and with, 
apparently, wizardly power produce harmony in 
what but a short time ago appeared like a hopeless 
jumble of discords. In presenting this work, there¬ 
fore, to the public we do so with the knowledge that 
it will not only fill a long felt want but, also, that 
the time and money saved from only one emergency 
will amply repay the purchaser. “ Knowledge is 
power” and with the knowledge gained you will have 
the power to save yourself from many an embarras- 
ing and delaying moment and bring your trip to a. 
successful and safe conclusion. 







EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


5 


“RATTLERS” THAT WARN 

Billy James and I were out at the Country Club 
one fine day last week and as usual, when with 
Billy the talk finally turned upon Automobiles. 
Billy is one of those rare personalities who really 
use the five senses. Indeed, he seems to have a 
rather highly developed sixth sense which, for want 
of a better term, we call intuition. Well once Billy 
got started on his hobby there was nothing doing 
with the rest of the fellows on the club veranda but 
a general drawing up of chairs to hear the words of 
wisdom he was about to loosen out of his system. 
Billy is chief designing engineer, with a great big 
-capital E. of one of the largest and oldest motor 
concerns and so what he had to say was listened to 
with respect for he surely does know the “ whys ” 
and “wherefores” of the automobile game. “Now 
everyone of you fellows own a car,” he said, but 
how many of you really know what you do own.” 
There was a united growl of protest from the 
■“ bunch ” but Billy laughingly held up his hand and 
said, “wait a minute before you jump me and I will 
explain what I mean. I am not criticising your cars 
nor finding fault with their appearance but what I 
mean is simply this: How many of you fellows really 
know your cars as you do your A. B. C.’s. Take 
for instance, the Rattlers. Have you ever sat here 
on the Club Veranda or have you ever been walking 
along the road and carefully watching the Auto¬ 
mobiles as they come and go. You may have done 
so but, if you have, you have likely done as the 
average person will do. That is you have only used 
one of your five sense: Sight. You should, at least, 
used one of the others, the sense of hearing, and 
use it critically. For instance here comes a large 
and powerful car in, apparently, first class order; 
freshly washed and polished; with a streamlike body 
■design and, in appearance, a treat to the eyes. The 



6 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


nearer it comes, however, the less is seen of its 
beauty for the ears have been attracted by the 
rattles, knocks, poundings, squeaks and groans which 
come from it as it passes. These not only rob the 
passengers of that soft gliding motion to which they 
are entitled but these sounds cause the beholder to 
instinctively get a bad impression of that make of 
car. Ninety-nine per cent of these noises could have 
been eliminated, entirely, with just a little time and 
care intelligently spent upon the car. The rattles 
and noises which are most frequently foupd in motor 
cars are due to the following causes: Loose fenders, 
loose tire rims, squeaky springs, missing motor, loose 
brake bands, humming speed gears, loose stearing 
rods, a rattling drip pan, vibrating doors, loose brake 
rods, loose shackle bolts, etc. The great majority 
of these needless noises are due to carelessness and 
if allowed to continue will very greatly aid in pre¬ 
maturely placing your car upon the junk heap. A 
few of the aids in remedying these rattlers are as 
follows: 

LOOSE FENDERS: The noise from loose fend¬ 
ers or of a rattling drip pan are almost identical and 
are hard to tell apart. One of the best plans is to 
have someone stand on the running board and press 
against that fender which you suspicion of making 
the noise. If it is not remedied by doing thjs it may 
be caused by a loose or lost bolt in the drip pan, 
get at it and tighten same up. 

TIRE RIM NOISES are mostly caused by the 
tightening nuts having become loosened. If there is 
more or less of a squeaky noise occurring at regular 
intervals, or at every revolution of the wheel, tighten 
the dust cap on the tire, this will secure the valve 
to the rim and eliminate the squeak. 

EVERYONE KNOWS THE NOISE OF A 
SQUEAKY SPRING. If there is any doubt, how¬ 
ever, whether it actually is that, drive your car over 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


7 


a smooth road which has a few small holes now 
and then. Drive your car over these holes at a rate 
of from fifteen to eighteen miles an hour. If your 
car squaks only when you go over these holes, and 
runs silently while on the smooth parts, you may be 
sure that your springs need oiling. This may be 
needed at the spring bolts where grease or oil cups 
are fastened for the purpose or they may need 
greasing between the leaves. In the latter case one 
of the most efficient ways is to take the spring apart 
and use a good spring lubricant, such as graphite 
grease. This method takes more time than some 
others. Many people use a contrivance similar to a 
small clamp, with two wedge shaped ends, this is 
put between two spring leaves and tightened: con¬ 
sequently, the springs will spread and permit you 
to grease between them. A strong screwdriver will 
also do nearly as well by holding it against the end 
of a leaf and giving it a blow with a hammer. By 
jacking up the body of the car (not the wheels) the 
leaves will spread easier as then there is no tension 
upon the springs, or take your squirt gun and use 
with an equal mixture of coal oil and oil and squirt 
this mixture along the side of your spring and es¬ 
pecially the tips of the plies of your springs. 

IN THE CASE OF A MISSING MOTOR there 
are a number of causes which can be contributory. 
It might be in the electrical system, the carburetion 
or many other parts. Sometimes one of the valves 
in the missing cylinder become warped thereby caus¬ 
ing a loss of compression and therefore not igniting 
the charge. From whatever cause, however, this is 
a matter that should be remedied as soon as possible. 
Aside from the sound, the jerky pull and loss of 
power, there is a direct loss of practically twenty- 
five per cent in unexploded gas which leaves the 
cylinder by the way of the exhaust pipe. The above, 
of course, is reckoned on a four cylinder motor. In 
other words every time you are spending one dollar 



8 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


for gasoline you are only getting seventy-five cents 
worth of exploded gas. If you cannot locate or fix 
the trouble with the motor, yourself, spend a few 
dollars and have it attended to at once. You will 
find that you have saved many dollars in the end. 

LOOSE BRAKE BANDS are another source of 
annoyance. This is sort of a clattery noise and very 
often it is not as audible or noticeable to the oc¬ 
cupants of the car as it is to others for the noise 
emanates from the rear end of the car and, in travel¬ 
ing forward, it is unheard. In nearly every case this 
noise can be eradicated by simply adjusting these 
loose brake bands. This trouble can usually be de¬ 
tected by applying hand brake easily. If this does 
not stop the noise, apply foot brake carefully and 
this will determine which brake band is loose. Then 
make proper adjustments. 

HUMMING SPEED GEARS are one of the 
noises which the great majority of the people don’t 
seem to mind. Such gears, however, cause that 
grinding sound which indicates that your car is not 
in perfect running condition. The gears in the gear 
box (or differential; whichever happens to be the 
case) have worn the bevels off the teeth. This was 
due to a low grease level. New gears are rather 
expensive but if you can afford it stop at a garage 
and have a mechanic tell you which particular gears 
you need and then get them. The first thing after 
having them changed see that you have enough 
grease to cover them while running and, in the fu¬ 
ture, keep them in this condition and you will avoid 
this trouble again while obtaining greater enjoyment 
from your noiseless car. 

LOOSE STEERING RODS. This is not only a 
very annoying trouble but may prove fatal, in time, 
if not attended to and remedied. Either the bush¬ 
ings in the steering arm, or the bushings in the 
steering rod. or the pins which connect the two, 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


9 


have become considerably worn through a lack of 
oiling. New parts which duplicate the worn ones 
will not prove expensive but they will stop that 
noise and give you an actual added factor of safety. 
Do not delay in this feature as delays are especially 
dangerous here. 

VIBRATING DOORS. When there is a rattling 
noise around the body of your machine and you 
cannot locate just what it is, or from whence it 
comes, get someone to hold the doors tight while 
you drive, or open them, if that stops the rattle ob¬ 
tain some anti-rattlers for the doors and apply them. 
These noises can also be stopped by fastening a 
small piece of rubber on your doors to fill out the 
vibrating space. 

LOOSE BRAKE RODS. Sometimes there is a 
vibrating and rattling noise underneath your car 
which may mean that your brake rod connections 
are worn. To stop this get some anti-rattlers at a 
garage, or supply house, and clamp them on. This 
will only take you a few minutes and will add greater 
satisfaction by doing away with this source of 
annoyance. 

TAPPING VALVE RODS. A loose valve rod 
makes a tappy noise under your hood. It also lifts 
your valve a fraction of a second too late and this, 
naturally, means a loss of power. Valve rods can 
mostly be tightened by means of a nut and locknut 
which is at one end. Put a piece of paper between 
the rod and the rocker arm and tighten until the 
paper just fits in close. Then pull your paper out. 
This extra space will give the valve a chance to 
close entirely and, at the same time, will not be 
enough to let the rod tap. 

‘‘Now,” said Billy, “there are lots of other noises 
which a car can have, especially an old one, but 
the ‘ rattles ’ I have just mentioned to you fellows 
are the ones which are found on most of them. If 



10 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


you will eliminate these I have told you about you 
will not only get a great deal more pleasure from 
your car but the feeling of safety will be an added 
and pleasant factor. In general appearance, also, 
your car will make a much better impression to the 
observer and, one of the main features of all, will 
be the cutting down of your expense and repair bills 
which will always add to anyone’s satisfaction.” 
When Billy stopped talking there was silence for 
a moment, then up jumped McLeod, one of our 
most exclusive members, and as he shook Billy’s 
hand he said, “ Billy, you have given us something 
to think about and act upon and I, for one, am 
going to take the lesson to heart and, moreover, act 
upon it. I know I have a couple of little rattles in 
my car but they have not been pronounced enough 
to cause me worry or annoyance but tomorrow 
morning I am going after them, myself, and have the 
satisfaction of getting rid of them and of knowing 
that you have given me the knowledge of where to 
locate them.” Billy laughed as he said, “ Well, you 
know. Mac, that when all is said and done, no matter 
how much money a fellow has, its the real knowl¬ 
edge of how to do something ourselves, or the 
showing how to someone who does not know, that 
makes life worth living after all.” And we all agreed 
that Billy, as usual, was right once more. 

EMERGENCY AIDS 

It was a couple of months after Billy James had 
given us his splendid talk on “ Rattlers.” We were 
all together once more, at the Country Club, and 
Billy was with us. The talk had been drifting around 
about cars from one subject to the other. Finally, 
a couple of our members who had experienced some 
peculiar little accidents to their cars, in out of the 
way places and far from where permanent repairs 
could be made, got out their notebooks and said, 
“ Now see here, Billy, we have made a list of acci- 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


11 


dents which have not only happened to us but 
emergencies which have occured to others. In the 
majority of these cases we had neither the tools or 
the materials along with us to make repairs and so 
had to depend on our own ingenuity or be towed 
home. What we want you to do is to tell us, in a 
few words, what you would have done in similar 
circumstances and how you would have gone about 
it.” Billy laughed as he said. “ Well, go ahead with 
your questions and I will try and do the best I can to 
fix you up so you can still keep moving until you 
get to where better repairs can be made.” “ The 
first thing we want to ask you, Billy, is what can be 
done when you are out in the country and a rear 
wheel breaks down and collapses and you have no 
spare wheel along.” “ When a Rear Wheel 
Breaks Down and Collapses cut down a sapling 
about four inches in diameter at its largest 
end and about fifteen feet long. Trim off the 
branches. Notch the pole four and a half feet from 
the larger end. Jack up the rear end of the car and 
place the pole under the axle nearest the hub of the 
demolished wheel being careful to fit the axle into 
the notch on the pole. Push the other end under¬ 
neath the car and over the front axle. Secure the 
pole to the axle, with wire, in both places. Remove 
your jack. Now, wire and lash the hub and spoke 
stubs of the demolished wheel to the pole. Let in 
your clutch and you will find that with the broken 
wheel lashed in this manner to the pole the power is 
transferred to the other wheel and you can continue 
on your way to the nearest garage.” 

“ Well, what do you know about that,” one of 
the fellows said, “ if I would have known that two 
weeks ago, when my wheel was smashed, I would 
have saved nearly four hours time and the $16.00 I 
paid to be towed home.” 

“ The next thing we want to know, Billy, is, 

If You Have Let the Battery Run Down Too Low 



12 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


To Operate the Starter and Have Left the Crank At 
Home and Then Happened To Stall the Motor How 
Can You Start It Again. 

“Jack up one of your rear wheels clear of the 
ground,” said Billy, “ then put your gears in high 
and set the switch and throttle for starting. Now, 
take your foot and give this wheel a quick forward 
turn. You will find that the engine will burst into 
life and your troubles will be over for this time.” 

“ Well, we never had this to happen to us,” said 
one of the members with the notebook,” but it did 
happen to a friend of mine and he monkeyed around 
for almost an hour before a car came along that had 
a crank to help him out.” 

“ Here is something, Billy, that did happen to me 
not a week ago and I sure would like to know how 
you would have remedied same. My lights suddenly 
flared white then went out. I inserted two new 
bulbs but the lights showed no sign of life. Then 
I remembered the fuses. I discovered that the tiny 
glass fuse was burned out; among all my expensive 
tools and equipment I could not find a single strand 
of copper wire. Now, how could I have gotten 
fixed up quickly?” “Were you smoking,” asked 
Billy?” “Why. yes, I always carry my favorite 
brand of cigarettes with me.” “ May I see them,” 
asked Billy, and as he was handed the package he 
opened it and tearing off a piece of the tinfoil he 
said, “ If you would have taken a piece of this 
genuine tinfoil and wrapped the fuse carefully and 
completely in it and then put it in place your lights 
would have flashed on brilliantly and illuminated the 
road ahead like day or, if you would have had no 
tinfoil, you could have disconnected the wires on 
the fuseblock, with a screwdriver, and joined them 
across. This would have served just as well.” 
“Well, I’ll be D—D,” said our fellow club member. 

“ Here is a predicament I got into, Billy, about 
a month ago. I had to go a number of miles out in 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


IS 


the country to see a big customer of ours on a 
rush order. Every minute meant money to us so I 
jumped into our big car and told the chauffeur to 
burn the road getting there. A few minutes after 
we started a big thunder storm came up and the 
rain poured down in torrents. We were making 
splendid time, however, until we came to the last 
few miles before reaching our destination. This 
had to be gone over a country road which had 
been pretty deeply cut up through heavy hauling. 
This rain had only added to its already bad condi¬ 
tion. We plowed into it, however, and had gone 
probably a mile when conditions became worse. 
We were nearly hub deep in mud and had been 
forced to slow up until we were barely moving. 
We stopped and the chauffeur jumped out to put 
on the chains. Then came the crisis. The chains 
had been stolen. Not a trace of them. There we 
were—stuck—and there we stayed, stuck, for nearly 
two hours until a big truck came along and gave 
us a tow out. I lost my order—too late. I ruined 
my temper and came within an ace of firing the 
chauffeur. What would you have done, under simi¬ 
lar cases, to have gotten yourself out of this hole? 
Remember We Had No Chains and the Mud Was 
So Deep and Sticky That We Were Tied Up Com¬ 
pletely?” Billy asked him, “when you were towed 
by the truck whose tow line was it?” “Why, ours 
of course.” Answered our friend. “Well, if you 
would have taken this tow line and wrapped it 
around one of your rear wheels, keeping the loops 
well spaced and would have taken one of your car 
robes and torn it into strips, knotted these together, 
and apply these to other wheel, you would have been 
on your way in ten minutes and would have found 
that these substitutes for chains would have proven 
every bit as satisfactory as chains in getting you to 
where you were going.” When Billy had finished, the 
rest of the fellows gave our friend the laugh and told 



14 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


him that they all knew he should never be allowed 
out with his “ big car ” without someone along who 
knew something about cars. Our friend came back 
with a very earnest request that, “ we all go to 

-,” and so that was the end of that but there 

was not one of us who did not decide to remember 
what Billy had said and if the occasion ever come 
to put it into practice we would know what to do. 

“ Here’s another thing, Billy, that I wish you 
would give us advice upon. Suppose I Had Lost the 
Ignition Key To My Car and Just Found It. Out As 
I Am Ready To Start On a Rush Trip. Is there any¬ 
way whereby I could start the car without my key? ” 
“ When you have lost your ignition key,” said Billy, 
“ and must make an immediate start, break your 
ground wire to the magneto then crank her up and 
you will find you are off to as quick a start as 
though you had used the ignition key.” “ By Jump¬ 
ing Jupiter! that’s fine, Billy,” spoke up one of the 
Club members. 

“ But here’s something I had happen to me and 
caused me no end of trouble and annoyance. I was 
out the other day and in some way my Left Rear 
Wheel Brake Band Became Frozen on the Drum 
and Locked the Wheel Stopping the Car. When I 
jumped out to investigate it I found that the big 
fourteen inch brake drum was nearly red hot so I just 
had to anchor right there until it had cooled off 
enough for me to start again. Luckily, for me, I was 
stalled in a spot where I could wait without danger 
to the car or the holding up of traffic but what got 
me thinking mighty serious was just supposing this 
had occured in different circumstances and I would 
have been stalled on, say, a railroad track and an 
express train due in a few minutes. What then? 
How could I have gotten the car moving in a few 
moments?” “The best thing to have done,” said 
Billy, “ would have been to have taken your wrench 
and loosened your brake band adjustment- Then 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


15 


taken your oil can and squirted oil between the 
drum and the brake band. This would have given 
sufficient leeway and lubrication so that in a mo¬ 
ment or two you could have been in motion once 
more. 

“ Anyone else want to know something? ” called 
out one of the members, when another said, “You 
bet, I do,” so he asked, “ Talking about brakes I 
had trouble not long ago with my brakes slipping— 
I get nervous yet when I think about it. I came 
within about two inches of trying to knock a trolley 
off the track. Oh! Boy, some fine sensation, this, 
to depress your foot brake and expect it to work 
while all the time you keep on going right up on 
top of what you are trying to keep away from. 
Fortunately, I was not going very fast in the first 
place or I would have piled right into that trolley 
and then, dear knows, what would have been the 
results. Chances are that when I came to I would 
have been sitting on the soft edge of a cloud with 
a harp in my hands. I just crept back to the garage 
and I haven’t had the car out since, and won’t have 
until I have those brake bands relined.” “ How long 
have you had your car,” Billy asked, “ Why, its 
nearly new. Only had it a month.” “ Now, see 
here, before you have those bands relined,” said 
Billy, “ you have a look, see for yourself, and see if 
you haven’t gotten oil on them from the differential. 
I am sure this is your trouble. Clean them off with 
gasoline and you will likely find them as good as 
new. Of course when you first found them to be 
slipping if you would have gone to the nearest drug 
store and have gotten some Fullers earth you could 
have put it on your brake bands, with your knife- 
blade and screwdriver, and could have continued 
your trip knowing that this simple remedy would 
overcome your difficulty. Or you could have washed 
it off, with gasoline, and then used ordinary fine 
dirt. 




16 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


“ Just while we are talking about slipping,” spoke 
up one of the members, “ I had an experience some 
time ago that would have caused me much less 
worry than it did if I would have known how to 
overcome it quickly. I had the family out in the 
country and everything had been going fine until 
just at the foot of a rather long hill and opposite 
a little country store I found that my clutch was 
slipping. In fact, I got stalled at the bottom of the 
hill and there I stayed until I got a local mechanic to 
patch me up so I could get back home, but I lost a 
lot of time and our outing was pretty thoroughly 
spoiled.” “ Was your clutch a mutiple disk clutch, 
or the leather cone, or a dry disk.” asked Billy. 
“ It was a leather clutch,” answered the member. 
“ Well, in that case, if you would have gone across 
to the little country store and gotten a handful of 
powdered rosin, to put on the surfaces of your 
clutch, you would have found that it would have 
taken a hold and that it would have surely brought 
you to the end of the days run. By so doing vou 
would not have wasted your time or spoiled your 
outing.” 

“ Just a minute,” spoke up one of the fellows who, 
up to this time, had been an interested listener, “ be¬ 
fore you get started on some other topic, I want to 
ask Billy about something which happened to a 
friend of mine not long ago. He was working for 
a very wealthy contractor who often takes him along 
to out of town jobs. On these trips my friend often 
runs his car for him. Well, they had such a trip 
not long ago and it so happened that the job they 
had to go to was only a couple of miles away from 
the home of a young lady friend of this young man. 
As the contractor expected to be busy for a couple 
of hours he told my friend to loaf around and amuse 
himself till they were ready to start for home. The 
way my friend amused himself was to ‘ borrow * 
the car and ' beat it ’ for this young lady’s home. 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


17 


He visited her for about an hour and a half then 
started back to pick up his employer. There was 
just a little ice on the road and in his hurry to be 
back on time, he skidded around a corner; came up 
against the curb; and the result was a smashed rear 
wheel. The tire and the rim lay on the pavement 
and what was left was sticking to the axle. He had 
about a block to run to a garage where he purchased 
a new wheel but when he got back he found, to his 
dismay that he could not remove the old wheel. 
He had no wheel puller. He had to go back to the 
garage, get a mechanic with a wheel puller and to¬ 
gether working like crazy they finally got the old 
wheel off and the new one on. He barely reached 
the job, * for his employer, when that gentleman 
showed up. Now, could he have done this work 
himself—A Broken Wheel, Another To Put On But 
No Wheel Puller, A Sticking Wheel and a Devil of 
a Hurry?” “If he would have blocked up his axle 
then have gotten some fairly heavy wire and looped 
it around the spokes on the hub, then taken his jack 
and put the head of it straight out in line with the 
axle, then put the wire loops over the base of the 
jack handle until the wires were taunt he would have 
found that a tap or so with a hammer, around the 
inside wheel flange, would have taken it off in a jiffy. 
This performs the same service as a puller.” 

STRANGER’S KNOWLEDGE STARTS CAR 

“ What you have just told me about.” said Billy, 
“ reminds me of a little experience I encountered 
one afternoon in New York City. I had been called 
there on an important business matter connected 
with our firm. My business finished I was taking 
a little stroll uptown and as I was passing along, 
gazing into the shop windows, I was thoroughly 
enjoying myself for the engagement I had made 
at our business meeting was most satisfactory to me. 
Just as I had reached 42nd Street and Broadway I 




18 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


noticed a sudden confusion in the traffic. It was 
caused by a driver who, in order to avoid a collision, 
had thrown on his brake but in doing so had killed 
his engine. He jumped out of his car and cranked 
and cranked but the engine refused to go. The cars 
behind him set up a shriek and howl from their 
klaxons and horns. He was holding up the traffic. 
A mounted cop dashed up to see what was the 
matter. “Prime her;” “cut your lights out;” 
“beat it;” were a few of the words hurled at him, 
suddenly a gentleman by my side stepped out to 
where the frantic young man was trying to start his 
car, and asked him if he had a magneto. No, replied 
the young man, only a generator and battery. Dis¬ 
connect the ground wire from your generator and 
then crank, said the gentleman. The young fellow 
did so and immediately his engine roared into life. 
This just goes to show how necessary it is for a 
fellow to always keep his brains about him when he 
gets into a tight hole. By knowing what to do and 
how to do it this gentleman, in a few words, had 
raised the blockaded traffic and sent another mo¬ 
torist away rejoicing.” 

BROKEN SPRING REPAIRED 

“ While we are talking about emergency repairs,” 
said Billy, “ I might as well tell you right here about 
a spring substitute which I found, by actual test, to 
prove almost as comfortable as a real spring and 
which brought myself and a party of friends home 
again after we had the misfortune to break one of 
our rear springs. We had been out several miles 
in the country to a farm, owned by one of the 
members of the party, and on our return going over 
some very rough roads, we broke our rear spring. 
After jacking up the lower side of the body one of 
the members of the party suggested that we roll up 
some of our rugs and robes in as tight a roll as 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


19 


possible and strap it together with some leather 
straps which we had in the car. We then tied it to 
the axle in such a way that it kept the body and 
fenders clear of the wheel and then left our jack 
down. We then improvised a loop of rope from the 
chasis to the axle, to keep the body from bouncing 
too high, when we were ready to get off to a fresh 
start. We finished our trip without any furthet 
trouble and found that our makeshift spring had 
been performing most excellently. In fact the jars 
and vibrations of the machine had been surprisingly 
absorbed. I can heartily recommend this emergency 
repair to any of my fellow Motorists who shall ever 
he placed in a situation where same could be used.” 

FRONT CONNECTING ROD BEARING 
BURNT OUT 

“ Now that you fellows have started me,” Billy 
said, “ I might as well tell you how a friend of mine 
hy using his ingenuity overcame what looked like 
real trouble and made an emergency repair which 
not only saved the situation in his own individual 
case but may be of help to some of you fellows if 
the occasion should ever arise where you found 
yourself in similar circumstances. My friend is a 
country physician and, like many in his profession, 
is an extremely busy man. He had been out on a 
case and, returning home, his car developed a very 
pronounced case of * knock.’ In fact it was doing 
more than mere knocking. It was pounding. Doc 
was thoroughly tired out, however, and put his car 
away promising himself to have the local garage- 
man fix it first thing in the morning. As he locked 
his garage he was offering a silent prayer that no 
call would come for him, that night, which would 
necessitate using the car. Of course you can imagine 
what happened. Doc had just finished his supper 
and sat down, for a few minutes rest, when his 



20 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


phone rang and, on answering, he discovered that 
an accident, happening several miles away, demanded 
his immediate attention. He promised to get there 
as soon as he could. Hoping against hope he started 
his engine but the sound showed him very clearly 
that it would be impossible to run his car that night 
unless, in some way. he could locate and fix his 
trouble. On investigation he found that his front 
connecting rod bearing was burnt out. There was 
nothing to do but ‘get under’ and unfasten the bolts 
which would give him access to his connecting rod 
bearing. Having, at last, gotten in to the trouble 
he found that it was hopelessly burned out. The 
melted babbit was splashed about on the inside of 
the crank case. He had no new bearing. Every 
minute-’was precious. What could he do? Suddenly 
he thought of a piece of leather belting. He got it. 
Hurriedly fitting in a piece, snugly, he at last was 
ready to go. He found that the pounding had been 
completely eliminated. He made his trip in record 
time and saved his patient. In telling me about it 
afterwards he said he had run his light car a couple 
of hundred miles, before he had gotten another bear¬ 
ing- put in, and had never experienced any more 
trouble from this cause.” 

DRIVER’S BELT MAKES FAN BELT 

“ Often times it is those simple little things which, 
by their very simplicity are often passed over by 
the motorist in making emergency repairs.” Billy 
James was speaking. “ Now, there is hardly an ac¬ 
cident happening but what could be repaired, tem¬ 
porarily, if a person knew just what to do in his 
individual case. I shall never forget a funny experi¬ 
ence I had, sometime ago, with one of my friends. 
We had gone out for a drive in his car. My friend 
is one of those nervous, excitable individuals, who, 
when anything does happen, starts to worrying and 
fussing like the very mischief. Well, as luck would 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


21 


have it, there was a little accident this day. It did 
not amount to much but it did have my friend away 
up in the air. I had noticed that the radiator was 
boiling like a half empty pot and I was just about 
to call my friend’s attention to it when the over¬ 
heated engine bucked until it stopped. My friend 
jumped out to examine his engine and find out what 
was wrong. He soon discovered, after lifting the 
hood, that he had broken and lost his fan belt. 
Then he started fussing. Wanted to know if there 
was not something he could make a belt out of. 
Rope, shoestrings, rubber, wire or something. I told 
him a belt must be flat and strong enough to hold 
the pulleys. He was frankly worried and I let him 
worry awhile just to see if he was going to use his 
head and find the solution to his problem. Finally 
I said to him, ‘ Now, see here, Jack, you have been 
all up in the air and trying to figure out what you 
could use for a belt when all the time you have the 
answer fastened right around the top of your trous¬ 
ers. Take off your belt, cut it the proper length and 
splice the ends with some fine wire, put it on to take 
the place of your lost fan belt and in a few minutes 
me shall be on our way. Or if you were not wearing 
a belt, you could take a strip of the reinforcing on 
the top of your car. That would have done just 
as well as your belt.’ In a short time we resumed 
our trip and Jack felt a little humbled because he 
had gone up into the air and had not stopped to 
really use his noodle. The next time something 
happens to him I would wager that he will do a 
little real thinking before permitting himself to run 
off at a tangent.” 

RADIATOR HOSE CLOGGED 

“ In speaking of radiator troubles,” Billy said, “ I 
came across an example the other day of one which 
was causing it’s owner to say various things about 
cars in general and his own car in particular. I 



22 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


came across this party away out in the country and 
he was standing beside his car looking just about 
as dejected as he was feeling. I stopped to inquire 
what his trouble might be an he told me he was 

* D-D if he knew what ailed the blasted thing.* 

He said that there was something the matter with 
his radiator but he could not discover what it was. 
It was not leaking: The fan belt was working all 
right but that as soon as he started his engine the 
blamed thing just started to boil over. In the last 
dozen miles he had filled his radiator, by actual 
Count, fourteen times and that now he was done. 
He didn’t think, anyhow, that anything should have 
a thirst like that these kind of times. Well, I got 
out to try and help him locate his cause for the 
radiator acting like this. With a screwdriver I de¬ 
tached the hose that connects the engine with the 
lower part of the radiator. When I held this hose 
up to the light, I saw that it was completely clogged. 
I showed it to him and, peeling away the rotten 
curls of rubber from inside the hose, I told him 
that it was likely caused by the Anti-freezing solu¬ 
tion he had used during the past winter. This ate 
the rubber and caused it to peel. This stopped the 
circulation and as soon as the water in the engine 
jacket got hot it boiled out without circulating' 
through the radiator and cooling. After replacing" 
the hose I wrapped it with tape. I had my friend 
fill the radiator while I was doing this, and then 
when all was ready had him start his engine once 
more. He drove ahead of me for three miles then 
stopped his car and, getting out, said to me, “ Part¬ 
ner, I want to thank you for what you have done 

for me. Not only in fixing me up. for my radiator 
is hardly warm now, but showing me that the 
proper thing to do, when you have trouble, is not 
to boil over like my radiator was doing but to keep 
cool and think.’ In coming to think it over after-; 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


23 


wards I believe he expressed it very aptly. At least 
this is an extremely important thing for the Motor¬ 
ist to remember. 

WATER MADE TO PRODUCE OIL 

“ In speaking of the rules of ordinary mechanics, 
which the Motorist should know, reminds me that 
there are some other matters which are almost as 
important,” said Billy, “ For one thing there are 
some seemingly reversals to some laws of physics 
which, sometimes, come in very handy. To explain 
what I mean I shall tell you about some friends of 
mine who solved a seeming problem in a very 
simple and satisfactory manner. These friends had 
not had their car for a very long time and, conse¬ 
quently, were not up to the many little dodges and 
makeshifts which is known to the experienced motor 
car owner. What they did, however, when suddenly- 
faced by a real emergency showed them to be not 
only very ingenious but, also, proved them to be 
quick and clever thinkers. They had taken the car 
out for a spin of a few miles. Before leaving they 
saw that they had enough gasoline and that the 
water supply in the radiator was ample for their trip. 
On the way home with only a few miles to go they 
began, however, to see that there was something 
radically wrong. The car began to have the ap¬ 
pearance and actions of a tired, worn out engine. 
There was a thin jet of steam raising beside the 
radiator cap. Things were getting hot and hotter. 
On a level stretch the cars speed slackened, with a 
succession of jerks, until it was barely running. My 
friends were surprised. They stopped the car and 
made an investigatipn. They found that they had 
forgotten to look after the oil supply before leaving 
home. The oil had gotten too low to reach the 
bearings in the engine. So they drew about a quart 
of water from the radiator and poured it into the 



24 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


crank case thus raising the oil, when it went to the 
bottom of the crank case, and they were thus enabled 
to raise the oil sufficiently so they could finish their 
trip without danger of the engine going dry.” 

RUSTED CLINCHER TIRE CASING STUCK 

TO THE RIM 

“ There are a number of rules in ordinary me¬ 
chanics,” said Billy, “which it is very important that 
the Motorist should familiarize himself upon. For 
instance, the following case will show what I mean. 
I had been out with my family taking a run into 
the country. Several miles out I came upon a stalled 
car. There was only one person in sight and he 
was standing alongside the car looking the very 
picture of dejection. As we came closer I discovered 
that the party in question was none other than 
my old friend Baker, a prominent Attorney, who 
seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown 
as he stood inspecting one of his rear wheels which 
he had jacked up. Upon inquiry I found that his 
trouble was a flat tire. He had removed the outer 
flange on the rim but on attempting to remove the 
casing he found it rusted to the rim as tightly as 
though it were riveted on. Fifteen or eighteen weeks 
of running through water and mud had allowed it 
to rust on firmly to the rim and it refused to yield 
to either clubbing, kicking, yanking or pulling off. 
To help matters along this was his spare tire on the 
rim and nothing could be done now but put in a 
new tube, which he had, but to get this tube in he 
must take the punctured one out and, in order to 
do so, it would be necessary to get the tire off the 
rim. Baker had the rim off the wheel and down in 
the dust speaking ‘ soft words of love and encour¬ 
agement * to it when I had come along. The first 
thing I had him do was to put the rim and tire 
right back on the wheel and fasten it with the lugs 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


25 


without putting the flange back on the rim. Then 
while I stood on the running board I had him drive, 
slowly, for a piece up the road then back up about 
the same distance we had gone. When we had 
gotten back and Baker had jacked up his rear wheel 
again he found that the tire now slipped off without 
any difficulty. The tremendous creeping pressure 
exerted by driving it flat had pulled it free from the 
rusty rim. Then telling him that while he had the 
tire off would be a fine time to take a file and rub 
off some of the rust and then rub on some graphite, 
to ‘ grease the wheels of justice/ I drove on know¬ 
ing that in a few minutes he would be on his way if, 
not rejoicing, at least a wiser man than he had been 
and he would know exactly what to do if he was 
ever confronted with such a case again. 

PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE SAVED TOURIST 

“ Sometimes a Motorist gets ‘ hung up ’ by an un¬ 
principled mechanic," said Billy, “ though I am glad 
to say that such tactics are becoming rarer and 
rarer as the Motorist becomes better informed about 
his car. I have an instance in mind, however, that 
will serve as an illustration for what I have refer¬ 
ence to. Some two months ago I had to make a run 
from the factory to the East. A few miles outside 
of Pittsburgh I came upon a fellow Motorist who 
was in trouble. That is he was not in nearly as much 
trouble as he thought he was but, owing to his not 
knowing some little matters, he was just about to 
‘ get his/ He had telephoned for a tow and the re¬ 
pairman had just arrived upon the scene shortly be¬ 
fore I got there. The tow rope had snapped and 
the repair man with a curse had thrown it into his 
car and was just telling the tourist that his rear 
wheels were locked and he couldn't budge his car 
and that he would have to come out the next day 
and put a roller truck under the back before he 



26 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


could be gotten in. When he was asked how much 
that would cost he sneeringly replied, ‘ thirty-five or 
forty dollars.’ It was late then, nearly five o’clock 
in the afternoon, and as the stranger pleaded with 
this repairman to get him into Pittsburgh before 
six o’clock lie just laughed and said ‘nothing doing.’ 
I had been listening to the talk and I saw it was a 
clear case of "‘ hold up’ so jumping out of my car I 
asl^ed our friend, in trouble, if he had a tow line of 
his own. He sure did but what was the use? Those 
rear wheels just refused to go around. Telling him 
to do just as I told him I had him jack up one of 
his rear wheels and take it off. Then telling him 
to take the channel key out of the axle and put the 
wheel back on. I drove in position to give him a 
tow and fastened his line to my car. Of course, 
when I started, his car rolled on behind just as fine 
as you please. The repair man, he of the small 
charge, yelled, just as we started, ‘ Say, where do 
I come in for my time,’ and my friend leaning far 
out of his car, told him he could get all ‘the time’ 
that was coming to him in H-L, where he be¬ 

longed. I landed him in Pittsburgh all safe and 
sound in plenty of time for his engagement and, by 
this simple little act of courtesy, also landed him 
for an order for one of our latest model cars. This 
experience only goes to show, however, how im¬ 
portant it is for the Motorist to thoroughly familiar¬ 
ize himself regarding those little emergency repairs 
which so often are found necessary and which the 
knowing how to perform will, so often, save both 
time and money.” 

OVERCAME DIFFICULTY BY WIFE'S AID 

•I - • - • ♦ -i : > 

4 

“ Sometimes in making a repair to your car you 
will meet with an accident which requires consider¬ 
able ingenuity to overcome,” said Billy. " I have 
in mind just now the case of a friend of mine who, 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


27 


by his quick thinking, saved himself from getting 
* in bad ’ with his wife and, at the same time, helped 
himself out on an emergency repair. The situation 
he found himself in was just this; it was the even¬ 
ing of his neice’s wedding. The ceremony was 
slated for seven thirty o’clock at one of the largest 
churches in town. His wife had gotten ready and 
together they had gone out to the car to start for 
the ceremony. So far all was fine. Well, when he 
went to start his car he discovered that he had 
trouble. His engine was missing very badly. He 
realized, at once, what his trouble was. The plati¬ 
num points in his distributor head were pitted and 
needed smoothing. Telling his wife it would re¬ 
quire only a few moments to remedy matters he 
hurriedly jumped out and removed his distributor 
head, quickly smoothed his points with a piece of 
waste saturated with a few drops of engine oil, and 
started to replace the distributor head. Then it 
happened. In his hurry he had knocked against the 
little spring on top of the distributor brush and 
broken it off. Taking the larger piece of the spring 
he quickly unloosened the screw in the center of the 
fiber distributing brush, and tucking the end of the 
broken spring under the head of the screw he tight¬ 
ened it up again. There was no work required of 
the spring and no pressure upon it. It was merely 
the bridge between a central source of current and 
the revolving brush that shot the current to each 
plug in succession. Upon putting the distributor 
head in place the engine would not start. The 
broken spring was just a trifle short in making con¬ 
nection. He was stuck. His wife, in the meantime, 
was getting nervous. What could he do ? He had 
all kinds of junk accumulated in his garage but 
nothing small and fine enough to substitute for a 
steel spring scarcely one and a half inches long. 
Doing some mighty quick thinking he asked his wife 
if 'she had any old steel corset staves in the house: 




28 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


She quickly ran in and brought one out to him. 
Snapping it off the proper length he screwed it to 
the distributor brush and then upon another trial 
his engine ran perfectly. The trouble had been 
remedied by quick thinking. The whole delay was 
only about fifteen minutes but by pretty fast run¬ 
ning part of this time was made up. They were in 
plenty of time for the wedding and, besides, my 
friend had the satisfaction of finding something out 
which will prove helpful to anyone else who should 
happen to have a similar accident befall him.” 

DOOR BELL DRY CELLS USED ON 
IGNITION SYSTEM 

“ Do you know what I did one night last winter, 
Billy? When I found myself in a peculiar little fix 
late at night?” One of the club members asked the 
question. “We had been having a little session 
with the pasteboards, here at the club, and, as usual, 
with such parties, the hour had grown pretty late. 
When, at last, the game broke up I had to go down 
to the locker room to get some things of mine and 
when I came up I was the only one of the fellows 
who had not gone. Well, I went out to start my 
car and also beat it for home. I was especially 
anxious to get there, too, just as soon as I could for 
wifey and I had been having some confidential talks 
about my recent late hours. That is wifey had been 
doing the talking and I, like most men, had been 
the confidential listener. When I got out to my 
car I found that the lights were out and that I 
could get no spark of life at the plugs. I had known 
that my battery was pretty well run down, but I had 
taken the chance of its lasting for that night and now 
I was the loser. It was cold as blue blazes out 
there so I went to the club and, on the way, was 
thinking of what sort of an alibi I could tell the wife. 
Then when I got inside the clubhouse I just sat 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


29 


down to think, for a few minutes, if there was no 
way I could help myself out of this difficulty. It 
suddenly struck me that if I were to take the half 
dozen dry cells which were used for the club door 
bell and wire them up in the regular way. negation 
to position pole, and hook the set up to my ignition 
system, just as you would a regular storage battery, 
that this might solve my trouble for me. I took the 
chance, anyhow, and found that after I had done 
this and put hot water in my radiator that my motor 
started up fine. Within thirty minutes I was home 
and in bed. The next day I brought the dry cells 
back to the club. I had saved myself a miserable 
night at the club and had also saved a drab, gray 
morning with wifey.” 

A JINX ENGINE REFORMED 

“Just while we are talking about all these matters,” 
said Billy, “ that reminds me that sometimes a fellow 
come across some little fault in a new car which, 
at first, often makes him think that someone has 
‘ hoodooed ’ it or put some kind of a spell on it. To 
give you an example of what I mean I will tell you 
about a case of a friend of mine who purchased one 
of the latest models of one of the higher priced cars. 
He had only had it out in the road a couple of times 
when something developed which led him to believe 
he had a regular ‘Jinx engine ’ wished on him by the 
makers. He had arranged to take a party of friends 
out in the country the next day and among this 
party was a young lady before whom he wished 
to make an exceptionally good impression. Well, the 
day before he had the car out to see that everything 
was in first class condition and. on the way home, it 
happened. His engine suddenly developed a knock. 
Not just an ordinary, scared, little tapping, but a 
real grown-up knock. In fact the clank, clank, clank, 
clank, coming very fast sounded more like a riveter’s 
hammer than anything else. Fortunately, he was 



30 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


very near home and as soon as he arrived there he 
called up the branch agency and had them send 
three of their best men to get on the job and 
diagnose his suddenly developed engine trouble. 
They took his whole engine down and went over it 
with the greatest care. They found everything to be 
in, apparently, the best of order. Every bearing, 
wristpin, valve and tappet measured up to the one 
thousandth of an inch. They reasembled the engine, 
using the utmost care but, upon starting it again, 
their ears were assailed by this sharp clear, clankity, 
clank, clank, clank, noise. They were absolutely 
bewildered to account for this and one word brought 
on another until all their nerves were at a breaking 
point. I had just arrived to see my friend, about a 
little business matter, and he asked me to come on 

out and ‘look at the D-n thing’ and see if I 

could locate his trouble. Well, I did so and. re¬ 
membering an engine we had had at the factory 
which had developed very similar faults, I asked to 
see the gasket which went between the cylinder 
block and the engine base. It was made of fiber, of 
rather a poor grade and had allowed the cylinder 
block to settle too near the base and that pushed 
the pistons too near the engine head. The difference 
was very slight, probably not more than a sixteenth 
or a thirty second of an inch but that was all the 
clearance she was bored for so the pistons were 
touching the head. We put in a thicker gasket and, 
in five minutes, that engine was purring like a big 
contented cat but the noise and knock were all 
eliminated.” 

NEW MOTOR REFUSES TO RUN 

“ While we are speaking about new cars,” said 
Billy, “ I want to tell you about another experience 
which had one of my engineers very greatly puzzled. 
He had been called to a garage of a very wealthy 
man whose big new ‘ Streaker ’ car had suddenly 





EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


31 


developed an idea that it would not go. The motor 
absolutely refused to start. My engineer was a 
thoroughly experienced and reliable man. He had 
built motors from the pig iron up. Yet here was a 
motor that would not start and he did not know why. 
He had verified the ignition timing and the valve 
timing. He had seen that the coil had not lost it’s 
intensity. He had drained the carburetor and proved 
that there was no water in the gas; likewise he 
found there was none in the cylinders. He was at 
wits end to account for the non-starting of the 
motor. He called me up, at the factory, and I hur¬ 
ried out to try and help him locate the trouble. The 
owner of the car had sent word he wanted the car 
in half an hour. It was a rush iob all around and 
we didn’t want to let this man know that we were 
not capable of locating the trouble. Well, when I 
got there I found that my engineer had done all the 
things I had mentioned above. We both looked it 
over again very hurriedly and, at last, I suggested 
taking the intake manifold off. The trouble was 
before us. The gasket let the air right by. The 
copper facing in one place, on the side of the gasket, 
was off thus making an air leak. We did not have 
time to get another copper and asbestos gasket or 
shellac.to repair it as our time was nearly up. I 
was chewing gum and I knew that by plastering the 
missing section of the gasket with gum and slipping 
it back into place it would do for an hour or so of 
running. We fixed it up in this manner and, next 
day, took out a new gasket and attached it to the 
car. The chauffeur told us that he had not had a 

particle of trouble with the car after we had made 
the ‘ repairs ’ the day before. So, you can see that 
a bit of gum is often more useful, around a car, than 
by merely chewing it. Strange as it may seem it is, 
however, true that even as sticky as it is it will often 
save one from being ‘ stuck.’ ” 




32 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


BROKEN CHAIN—BROKEN GEAR SHAFT— 
“ FROZEN ” CYLINDERS 

We had listened to Billy’s talk on emergency aid 
repairs, with the greatest interest. We were all car 
owners and the many little helps and aids, in the 
quick repairing of breakdowns, were mainly new 
and strange to us. We knew, however, that Billy’s 
reputation and experience were a guarantee, in what 
he had told us, that we could fully depend on these 
matters to successfully work out were we ever called 
upon to utilize them. My fellow club members were 
thanking Billy for his talk and the many new ideas 
which he had given them. The party was breaking 
up and going their respective ways. As Billy was 
my guest and we were going directly into town we 
soon started on our way. Behind us were three other 
members cars also going our way. We had hardly 
gone a mile until we came to a stalled furniture 
truck with the driver busily working about it. We 
stopped and Billy asked what was wrong. With 
just a few words the driver told his trouble. “ Stuck, 
broken chain,” he said. Billy looked at him and 
said, “Well, you have one chain, that’s enough to 
pull you.” The driver was disgusted, and plainly 
showed it, when he answered, “Ah! go on, haven’t I 
been trying for an hour to run with that one chain 
and there is nothing doing.” “Now. see here,” said 
Billy, you take that chain and some wire and se¬ 
curely fasten the sprocket, on the side where the 
chain is broken, so that it cannot turn, and then 
start your engine and see if your chain won’t pull 
you. The way Billy said this and in the meantime 
the other club members’ cars having arrived and the 
way they eagerly jumped out to see Billy’s “ practical 
demonstration ” convinced the driver that Billy knew 
something, so he quickly set about following his 
instructions and in a few moments had the sprocket 
securely lashed and, starting his engine as Billy had 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


33 


said, he found that his truck moved off as though 
nothing had been the matter with it. As we got 
ready to get back in our cars Billy said to us, “ The 
principle of this repair is the same as what I had 
told you about a broken rear wheel. By lashing that 
sprocket securely the driver transferred his power 
to the other chain and that was sufficient to pull him 
out of his trouble.” We had just fairly gotten 
started on our interrupted way to town when we 
came across another large truck which, upon investi¬ 
gation I thought was impossible to help, immediately, 
as it had a broken gear shaft. Billy, however, was 
right on the job and having the driver remove the 
top of his gear box, he took the driver’s seat in the 
truck. He then told the driver to get the heaviest, 
longest handled screw driver he had. This being 
produced he told the driver to put the screw driver 
behind the gear where the shifting fork is and when 
he (Billy) depressed the clutch pedal the driver was 
to shove her in. The gears clashed a moment then 
slipped in. Billy eased up the clutch pedal, opened 
the throttle and as the truck pulled away in high 
he gave the wheel to the driver and jumping off came 
back to where we were standing. “ He will be all 
right now,” he told us, “just as long as he keeps in 
high gear, which he can easily do where he is going, 
but that kind of an emergency aid requires two men 
to help each oth*er out.” “Yes.” replied one of the 
club members, “you are right, Billy but one of the 

men must know a whole D-n lot.” With which 

remark we laughingly climbed back to start once 
more for town. When we were startled, once more, 
I could not help thinking how strange it was that we 
had met two “ emergency aid ” repairs on our way 
to town after having spent nearly the whole after¬ 
noon at the club in talking about this very subject. 
I could also not help wandering if the old adage 
“ What is second will be third,” was to be proven in 
our case. Sure enough it came true for we had 




34 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


hardly gone another mile before we came upon a 
stalled roadster with it’s hood up and a man with a 
bucket of water just ready to pour into his radiator. 
Billy yelled at him, “ Stop, don't pour water in her 
while she’s hot; you’ll crack her cylinders.” We 
jumped out and, sure enough, the trouble had all 
come from a leaking radiator. The driver had kept 
going until he could not go any further. His pistons 
were “ frozen ” tight. Billy told him to hustle over 
to that farm house and get a pint or so of coal oil as 
quick as he could. Then while the driver was doing 
this Billy busied himself by taking out the plugs and 
the driver, getting back by then, Billy poured some 
coal oil in each cylinder, and let it work a few 
minutes. Then replacing the plugs, and sticking 
some chewing gum on where the radiator was leak¬ 
ing, he told the driver to slowly fill his radiator and 
then try and crank up. Sure enough, after a few 
attempts the engine responded. Before we left Billy 
told the driver, “ Remember this; never put water in 
her while she’s hot; you’ll crack her cylinders like 
milk bottles, if you do.” As we climbed back to 
start on our way again one of the other fellows 
yelled, “ Say, Billy, if you don’t mind, would you 
just as soon let us go ahead? This thing is getting 
like a funeral procession. We’re running into all 
the ‘ dead ones ’ in this part of the country and with 
you ahead there you will always be stopping to help 
them out.” “ Well,” Billy said, “ I would only do the 
best I could to help them.” Our friend called back: 
“ Well, Billy, your best is plenty good enough for 
us for the ‘ best ’ you know is the best that can be 
done.” And we had all agreed that he had “ said 
sompin’.” 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


35 


EVERY DAY AIDS 

MAKE YOUR MOTOR UPKEEP LESS EX- 
PENSIVE. Whether it pays you to keep an auto¬ 
mobile or not, depends altogether on how your car 
is treated, and the motorist who realizes this fact 
is the one that gets the best results. After several 
months use—a fairly severe test of any piece of 
mechanism—the average automobile begins to de¬ 
teriorate fast, unless it has been given the proper 
attention; and this is the reason why, in many in¬ 
stances, expensive automobiles are discarded after 
being in service a comparatively short time. It is 
pathetic, but true, that for each motorist who really 
knows his car in the numerous details, there are 
thousands who are ignorant of everything save the 
control. Learn to anticipate trouble by a careful and 
thorough study of your individual car. Economize 
in gasoline and thereby cut the running cost of the 
entire car. See that the carburetor is properly ad¬ 
justed. Lubricate all the running parts properly and 
keep the tires inflated. See that the brakes do not 
drag and that the wheels and bearings are adjusted 
neither too tight nor too loose. Be careful how you 
run the car; don’t try to climb the hills without 
shifting to second speed, or even to first, on a very 
steep hill. It is the little things that make for auto¬ 
mobile economy. 

The suggestions given below will be extremely 
useful and valuable to all motorists who desire to 
keep their cars in good condition. 1st. Storage 
battery inspected every two weeks. 2nd. Grease 
cups turned up every one thousand miles. 3rd. 
Springs oiled every week. 4th. Oil and gasoline con¬ 
nections inspected every week. 5th. Crank case 
drained and washed out with kerosene every five 
hundred miles. 6th. Universal joints packed with 
grease every one thousand miles. 7th. Differential 
and transmission packed with grease or oil every 



36 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


one thousand miles. 8th. Spark plugs cleaned every¬ 
one thousand miles. 9th. Carbon removed from 
cylinders twice a year. 10th. Valves ground every 
two thousand miles. 11th. Wheels alined once a 
month. 12th. Wheel bearings inspected monthly. 
13th. Carburetor cleaned monthly. 14th. Self-starter 
inspected monthly. 15th. Steerine wheels and 
knuckles inspected weekly. 16th. Brakes tested and 
equalized monthly. 

DON’T BE A “CLUTCH RIDER A fellow 
who keeps his foot continually on his clutch. On 
some cars clutch riding will invariably burn out the 
thrust-bearing, because of the mechanical construc¬ 
tion. The weight of the foot has a tendency to 
release the spring tension and make the clutch slip. 
Slipping is a waste of power, and promotes friction, 
which wears away the contact surface, at the same 
time adding to the slipping propensity. Keep your 
left foot on the floor boards and practice so you can 
raise it, automatically, to the clutch when necessary. 

MAKE SURE THAT THE SPARK PLUGS fit 

tight and that they are provided with good copper 
asbestos gaskets. If the spark-plug porcelain is 
cracked it will miss fire. 

INSPECT THE PET COCKS or priming-cups- 
and see that they are all tight and that they stay- 
closed all the time. 

THE PISTON RINGS may have turned so that 
the openings are all in line, or you may be using such 
a light oil that the engine does not get a tight com¬ 
pression seal. Oil, when heated, is very thin. In 
some cases patented piston-rings will help eliminate- 
leakage, but if the cylinder is worn oval, there is no¬ 
remedy except that of reboring it. Kerosene will 
free the carbon, but it is best to use it only when 
you are ready to drain off the old crank case oil.' 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


37 


A GRAPHITE PREPARATION. In the oil, in 
suitable proportions, will make a very perceptable 
improvement in the compression of an automobile 
engine, and this will be more apparent on an old 
car. It will also increase the oil economy and keep 
the engine in better running condition. When an 
engine regularly cleaned with kerosene, lubricated 
as described, and with valves ground regularly, shows 
a serious loss of power, the lack of compression may 
be traced to the piston-rings. The cause thus nar¬ 
rows down to plain wear, granted, of course, that 
other possible causes, such as wear of the valve 
stems, push rods, etc., are eliminated. One reason 
for loss of compression lies in the use of that boon 
of the present-day motorist, the self-starter. The 
man who cranked his engine by hand knew the 
<l feel ” of the compression. 

SPECIAL CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN with 
the connections in the lamps. A short circuit occurs 
when the wires of opposite polarity are in metallic 
contact. Under such conditions the storage battery 
will be discharging and there will be no lights at 
the lamps. A short circuit may occur at any point 
in the wiring system, but it is usually found at 
terminals that have been carefully made, or at places 
where the wire insulation is worn. 

DURING COMPRESSION. The valves should 
be closed tightly. A broken spring or faulty adjust¬ 
ment will prevent their closing and will result in no 
compression at all. 

IN THE CASE OF INCORRECT TIMING. 

The trouble will be noticeable as a lack of power in 
all the cylinders. Carbon under the valves will pre¬ 
vent them from seating. The remedy for these diffi¬ 
culties is to keep the engine free from carbon, and 
the valves clean, and to be sure that the timing of 
the valves and tappet adjustment are as set down in 
the instruction book which accompanies your car. 



38 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


HOW TO REMOVE CARBON FROM CYLIN¬ 
DERS. The trade in genuine and so-called carbon 
preventives and removers exhibits some of the fea¬ 
tures of the patent medicine market—many owners 
are so anxious to cure their motors of the carbon 
evil that they buy almost anything in the hope of 
finding the cure-all. Unfortunately the unprecedented 
demand for motor fuel has caused many refiners to 
use greater latitude in manufacturing it so that much 
of what is billed to you as gasoline, or a twin brother 
of gasoline is, in reality, nothing more than a some¬ 
what distant relative. There is no doubt that some 
of the preparations labeled carbon removers are 
meritorious products. Yet it is also true that a 
pretty fair carbon remover may be concocted out of 
easily procured substances, namely, kerosene and 
denatured alcohol—about four ounces of denatured 
alcohol to twelve ounces of kerosene, shake the mix¬ 
ture well and pour about a tablespoonful through 
each pet-cock or through each spark-plug opening. 
Do this in the evening when you are about to put 
the car up for the night and the motor is still hot. 
In order to distribute the liquid evenly over piston 
heads and combustion chamber walls the motor 
should be turned over a few times then left undis¬ 
turbed over night. In the morning when the motor 
is started for the first time there will be considerable 
smoke and loosened carbon thrown out together 
through the exhaust. If the car happens to be 
equipped with a muffler cut out the latter should be 
opened. Many of us who have dabbled in the prob¬ 
lems of carbon prevention agree that live steam, or 
water vapor, affords a most handy remedy for carbon 
trouble. The accessory market offers a variety of 
apparatus designed to add in some instances water 
and, in others, water vapor to the explosive mixture. 
The vapor has a decided tendency to soften carbon 
and since the vapor is drawn into the combustion 
chamber with every suction stroke, the cleaning 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


39 


process is gradual and steady. It has been noticed 
in this connection that the addition of water vapor 
somewhat augments the power of the motor and in 
that manner really becomes a fuel saver. 

TO PREVENT RADIATOR FROM FREEZING 

Autoists are aften bothered in the winter by the 
freezing of the cold-water pipe leading from the 
bottom of the radiator to the lower part of the 
cylinder water jacket. If this pipe is frozen and the 
engine is started, the water in the upper part of the 
radiator will soon boil, but as the heat goes up, and 
not down, it will boil away before thawing out the 
frozen pipe. There is an easy method of remedying 
this, in a way that is entirely automatic. When the 
circulation is stopped, the boiling water is soon 
carried off in the small over-flow pipe. If the lower 
end of the pipe is loosened from its fastening, and 
moved to a point directly at the base of the cold 
water pipe, the heat of the steam will thaw out that 
pipe while the car is in motion. As soon as it is 
thawed out, the circulation is resumed. If the over¬ 
flow pipe is so located that it cannot be moved, the 
autoist should carry a section of rubber tube to slip 
over the end of the pipe, and so direct steam to any 
cold part of the radiator he desires. The steam flow 
will cease as soon as circulation of the water through 
the piping is resumed. 

ANTI-GLARE IN HEAD LIGHTS. Traffic au¬ 
thorities in many localities are inclined to a very 
rigid interpretation of local anti-glare headlight reg¬ 
ulations. Consequently the motorist desires some 
easy means for rendering his lights less bright with¬ 
out going to the bother and expense of substituting 
new lamp bulbs for those he is using or to the re¬ 
placing of his lenses with those coming within a 
strict interpretation of the law. One of the best 
ways out of the difficulty is the frosting of the 
lens at the glass of the lamp. Buy ten cents worth 



40 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


of epsom salt and dissolve it in about five ounces 
of water. Now, flow the liquid over the inside of 
the glass. When dry the glass will be coated with 
a frosting similar to ground glass. A more perma¬ 
nent job can be made by using so-called “ Ground 
glass substitute ” obtainable at any photographic 
supply house. Ground glass substitute should flow 
over the inside of the headlight glass by tilting the 
glass about so as to evenly distribute the liquid. One 
treatment with ground glass substitute will last for 
an entire season. Instead of coating the entire head¬ 
light lens with ground glass substitute the glare of 
the light may be very effectively diminished by plac¬ 
ing in the center of the lens, immediately in front of 
the light bulb, a round spot of ground glass mixture. 
The following is the way to do it: Cut a paper mask 
with a round opening in it about two inches in diam¬ 
eter. When the paste is well dried flow ground 
glass substitute over the circular spot not covered by 
paper and let it dry for about twenty minutes. Now 
soak the lens in cold water until the paper mask 
comes off and nothing remains on the glass but the 
round spot of ground glass substitute. There will be 
plenty of light left but the direct glare will have been 
eliminated. 

OVERCHARGED BATTERIES. A great many 
motorists do not know that there is as much danger 
in letting their batteries get overcharged as there is 
in letting the charge run too low. Overchanging is 
very likely to happen during long runs when the 
car is operated at twenty to twenty-five miles an 
hour for a number of hours continuously. At this 
speed the generator is delivering current to the 
battery at its maximum charging rate. An over¬ 
charged battery overheats with the result that the 
active material in the plates loosens and falls to the 
bottom of the battery shortening its life. Most cars 
have an automatic cutout in the electrical system 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


41 


which is supposed to prevent overcharging, but this, 
like many automatic devices, fails to work at the 
proper time. Before starting on a trip test your 
battery with a hydrometer syringe to see if battery 
is up to standard of 1285 or 1295. The safe way is 
to burn your lights, at least part of the time, when 
on a long drive. This takes the load off the battery 
and insures against overcharging. The next time 
you see a motorist driving along the street at high 
noon, with his lights on. don’t yell at him. He 
probably knows what he is doing and his battery 
will last longer than the other fellows who is not 
wise enough to take this precaution. This idea is 
one which more motorists would do well- to adopt 
and which would give them greatly lengthened life 
to their batteries. 

WHEN GIVING YOUR CAR A “LAY OFF.” 

When an owner finds it necessary to put his car out 
of commission for a protracted period, whether it be 
in the public garage, or his own, he should make 
it a point to observe a certain routine in preparing 
his car for it’s time of non-service. First of all the 
body and running gear should be washed with water 
and soap and the body polished with a chamois skin. 
Then polish all bright metal trimmings and rub them 
over with, an oiled or waxed rag. Drain the cooling 
system. Put some heavy oil into the cylinders and 
turn the engine over several times to distribute the 
heavy lubricant over the cylinder walls and into the 
piston ring grooves, etc. Remove the storage bat¬ 
tery and have it charged. Connect the binding posts 
on the generator with a copper wire. Jack the car 
up so as to take the weight off the tires. Release 
the brakes. Raise the top if yours is an open car: 
this will keep the top smooth. Finally, cover the 
entire car with sheeting to protect it from the dust 
and grime which would otherwise settle upon it. 
When these matters have all been faithfully attended 
to you can rest assured that when you come, once 



42 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


more, to take your car out and put it into active 
service again you will find it to be in first class 
order and, if anything, rather improved by the rest 
and have given it. 

MAKING YOUR CAR MORE EFFICIENT. 

A great deal of good will comes from the present 
program of many dealers to encourage car owners 
to perform for themselves the many small repairs 
and adjustments that, heretofore, have been either 
grafted from the dealer or else where purchased 
at an extravagant price, according to the dealers 
protective impulses. One of the best features of this 
“ help yourself ” movement is that the average owner 
will learn a great many things about his car that he 
never dreamed of before and which will improve both 
his own individual knowledge as well as his ability 
as a motorist. For one thing, he will learn to expect 
less of his car and will come to better appreciate the 
good service that is built in the average machine. In 
addition to this he will also learn that a great many 
of his past difficulties were distinctly the fault of his 
own neglect. It surely does them all good, once in 
a while, to “ get out and get under.” A little daily 
attention paid to your car will not only make it last 
much longer but, also, will give you much better 
service from it while it does last. If you were still 
driving a horse, you would see that it was fed, 
watered and curried regularly. Your car needs just 
as careful and regular treatment. The one great 
fault with a car is that in the great majority of cases 
it causes it's owner to become careless. Careless in 
the many little attentions and details which add life 
and comfort to the car itself. Many owners are sat¬ 
isfied as long as the motor runs fairly smooth: the 
tires hold up all right; they have enough gasoline, 

oil and water; and the chassis is comparatively clean. 
All that remains is to jump in, start her off, and get 
there and back. The next day it is the same thing 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


43 


over and so it goes from day to day until one fine 
day when something goes wrong: and no sooner fixed 
than something else shows up; and the first thing 
you know it is just like the “one hoss shay” all shot 
to pieces at one time and has to be taken to the 
garage for a general and thorough overhauling. How 
much simpler it would have been, to say nothing of 
the time lost or money saved, to have given your car 
an occasional good grooming yourself. The follow¬ 
ing brief advices to the car owner will bring greatly 
added efficiency to his car and will often save addi¬ 
tional trouble and worry. 

KEEP A RECORD OF FACTORY NUMBER. 

Generator, starter, ignition, motor number and num¬ 
ber of parts easily located. If your car is stolen 
the thief will likely remove some numbers but, prob¬ 
ably, not all. Have a Thoroughly Good and reliable 
lock put on your car and then use it. 

FAILURE TO WASH A CAR will spoil it’s ap¬ 
pearance in a short time. The varnish of a car is 
benefited and hardened by frequent washing in clear 
cool water, but is damaged if mud is allowed to freeze 
on the body of your machine. Start in by cleaning the 
top, giving it first of all a good dusting, and follow 
this up with a sponging of tepid water and castile 
soap. A chamois skin, kept especially for the pur¬ 
pose, will hasten the drying. Never fold your top 
until it is dry. 

UPHOLSTERY SHOULD BE WASHED with 
a woolen cloth dipped in water to which a few 
drops of ammonia have been added. Upholstery 
covered with cloth can best be cleaned by sponging 
with water to which a little salt and alcohol have 
been added. You can now use the hose, after remov¬ 
ing the nozzle, and let the water flow gently over 
the body until much of the dirt and dust are washed 
off. With a little patience most of the dirt can 
be “ floated off.” It is always advisable, after thor- 



44 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


oughly wetting the mud covered car, to let it soak for 
a few minutes. 

CAUSES OF AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS 
AND LOSSES may be divided as follows: Careless 
driving, skidding, careless pedestrians, miscellaneous 
carelessness, mechanical breakage, fire, theft. Prob¬ 
ably half of these, at least, could be avoided and are 
unknown to the careful driver who diligently in¬ 
forms himself about his car. The following hints 
will greatly aid in minimizing many accidents. In 
parking, at night, leave your lights burning. Don’t 
run your motor in a closed garage. The carbon 
monoxide in exaust gasses is odorless and a small 
percentage Of it in the air is fatal. It is best not 
to start or stop suddenly nor to skid round corners. 

See that your brakes are properly set, if you leave 
your car on an incline, and also turn your front 
wheels toward the curb. Watch for the pedestrian 
who tries to cross the street after you have received 
the traffic officer’s signal to go ahead. Don’t allow 
your spot light to shine in the faces of drivers of 
approaching cars. Whatever alcohol you use put it 
in the radiator. Keep your windshield free from 
rain or snow. Install a good device for cleaning rain 
or snow from the windshield. 

WHAT BECOMES OF A DOLLAR’S WORTH 
OF GASOLINE. As your automobile purrs sweetly 
along the road do you ever try to figure the gasoline 
inevitably lost by your engine before it gets a chance 
to transmit power to the driving wheels? Not more 
than twenty per cent of the gasoline is delivered by 
the average automobile engine although twenty-five 
per cent is attainable. Below is a series of state¬ 
ments showing where the leaks are and how to stop 
them: Twenty-five cents of the dollar mixes with the 
air that circulates over the engine. Moral: Never 
race the engine and never allow it to idle. Battery 
recharging is cheaper than purchasing gasoline. 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


45 


Twenty-five cents of your dollar is ejected in smoke 
from the exhaust. Moral: Adjust the carburetor to 
it’s highest efficiency; hold the oil at a constant 
level; and beware of black smoke. Forty cents of 
your dollar emerges from the radiator. Moral: Keep 
the cooling system in perfect condition and the 
engine as cool as possible in hot weather. In addi¬ 
tion make sure that the fan is functioning properly. 
Only ten cents of your dollar drives the car over the 
road. Moral: Manipulate the hand throttle when 
driving over rough roads. Coast whenever possible 
on grades and hills. And now you must buy more 
gasoline. Attach a safety cap to your filler tank and 
have some means of making sure that you get a full 
gallon. 

LOCATING ENGINE KNOCKS. One of the 

most delicate problems the motorist has to deal with 
is that of distinguishing between and locating vari¬ 
ous engine knocks. While their are numerous 
“listening” devices on the market, experience is, as 
usual, the best teacher and will enable you to repair 
it before it develops into serious trouble. A few of 
the mysterious knocks are described below. 

The more experience one has in listening to knocks 
the more expert one will become in finding them and 
telling what is loose. Each faulty motor part has a 
different knock, which comes always in regular 
periods relating to the speed of the engine. 

A LOOSE CONNECTING ROD. Produces a 
large bump or a very heavy hollow sound. It is easy 
to locate the faulty connecting rod by running but 
one cylinder at a time, in which case two bumps are 
usually noticable, due to the relief of the explosion 
pressure. If the rod is very loose the knocks can 
be located by the engine with the crank. This trou¬ 
ble is caused by a twisted rod, loose bearing, or side 
play. With a seized or burnt out bearing the motor 
will groan or stick in starting. 



46 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


THE MAIN-BEARING KNOCKS. Are readily 
located by running two cylinders at a time, one on 
each side of the crank bearing. A hard bump will be 
noticeable throughout the motor, produced regularly 
with the firing of the two cylinders. Such knocks are 
caused by loose fitting bearings, or scored or a burnt 
out bearing. In the latter two instances the motor 
will groan upon starting cold. 

A LOOSE PISTON PIN. Is distinguished by a 
sharp metallic knock. It can be located by using the 
listening rod for each cylinder and speeding up the 
motor, then closing the throttle suddenly. By doing 
so a double knock will be noticeable, which is very 
sharp and better termed a rap. The knocks are 
caused by a crooked or broken pin or by a badly 
worn member. 

A LOOSE CAM SHAFT. Is seldom encountered. 
It gives a rattling slap combined with a thud. In 
some cases the thud is audible; in other cases the 
looseness of the bearings will allow the gears to slap 
and rattle. Generally this trouble is very hard to 
discover, due to the pressure of the valve springs. 
The trouble can be located by sounding gear-case 
and calm-shaft bearings with the listening apparatus. 
The knocks are caused by loose bearings, end play, 
or badly fitting bearings. 

A LOOSE FLY WHEEL will produce a very 
heavy knock at low engine speed, and will appear 
regularly. The knock will change it’s nature, entire¬ 
ly, when the motor is speeded up and the vibration 
of the shaft will produce a dull chattering knock. It 
is located by disengaging the clutch and rocking the 
fly wheel back and forth. The trouble is caused by 
improper fitting, loose bolts, broken bolts, or bad 
keys and splines. 

A LOOSE PISTON. Gives a very short knock, 
its clearness varying with the size of the cylinder and 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


47 


metal used in the piston. It can be located very 
easily by the use of the listening apparatus against 
the cylinder wall. It is caused by a large bore, small 
piston, or tapor piston or bore. 

LOOSE VALVE TAPPETS. Will produce a 
brisk tap or knock very often encountered, and dif¬ 
ficult to remedy on a high speed motor. This trouble 
is caused by an excessive clearance, bent or sticky 
valve stem, flat and out-of-round rollers, bent valve 
spring, or a seat that is not square, or a combina¬ 
tion of causes. Successful hunting for these troubles 
requires a great deal of. experience that can be 
obtained only by continued practice, which develops 
the sense so that not only are the different knocks 
easily distinguished, but they are also speedily lo¬ 
cated. 

IF YOUR OIL IS LOW IN YOUR MOTOR 

you can bring it up until the connecting rods reach 
it by putting water in the crank case, as soon as you 
reach the nearest oil supply station you can remove 
this and substitute fresh oil. 

FAILURE OF THE OIL PUMP to work is 
caused sometimes by too thick a gasket between the 
cover and the body of the oil pump, or strainer 
could be clogged. For the former, insert a thinner 
gasket. If the latter, the strainer can be cleaned by 
taking out and blowing through it or cleaning with 
wire. 

IN CASE OF A BURNT OUT BEARING take 
off the crank case, and take out the burnt bearing 
and piston, and block the intake and exhaust parts 
leaving the spark plug in. 

IF YOU HAVE A SHORT CIRCUITED CON¬ 
DENSER and you get a weak spark from it, it is 
best to remove the wire leading to the condenser or 
remove the condenser. How far would it take you 
if it did? About ten or fifteen miles, and your con¬ 
tact points would have to be cleaned. 




48 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


IF YOUR MOTOR STOPPED DEAD on the 

road, it may be caused by no gas in the carburetor, 
or vacuum tank, or main supply tank. Water in the 
carburetor or pipes being clogged would also cause 
it. Or the strainer on the vacuum tank could also 
be clogged. 

IF YOUR MOTOR SHOULD MISFIRE, badly, 
examine your spark plugs and if you find no trouble 
there then examine the distributor head and rotar and 
if you find no trouble there then take off secondary 
wire from your coil but do not hold wire more than 
three-sixteenths of an inch away from binding post. 
Then if you find your spark to be irregular, examine 
your contact points for they may have become pitted. 
If this proves to be the case take your knife and try 
and break off small point sticking out from contact 
screw or arm. If unable to do this take point out 
and rub on emery cloth or a stone. This will help 
you to get to the nearest garage where better aid 
can be given you. 

A LOOSE CONNECTION ROD BEARING 

could be told by the sound without any trouble. If 
the crank shaft would be loose, you would only hear 
it at a high speed. 

IF A CAR HAS A POP NOISE or a back fire, it 
is a good indication of not enough gas and it can be 
remedied by pulling out the choke until you get 
an even running motor. 

WHEN YOUR CAR STOPS and after examining 
the car you find that the ignition system is in good 
working order, but there is no gasoline in the 
carburetor or vacuum tank but plenty in your main 
supply tank, you can fill the vacuum tank by using a 
squirt-gun and drawing the gasoline from the main 
supply tank and putting it in the vacuum tank. Your 
car will then work as though nothing was the matter 
with it and can be ran for a few miles. If the car 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


49 


stops again, make a more thorough examination and 
you may find that an obstruction in the main supply 
tank has clogged the suction pipe leading to the 
vacuum tank, stopping off the supply of gasoline. 

IF MOTOR SHOULD STOP on the road, but it 
would run and would make an effort to pull your 
car, and you would operate your hand throttle or 
your accilerator and you find that you get no re¬ 
sponse, examine the connection leading from the 
accilerator to the carburetor; or if motor would 
respond to operation of hand throttle but would have 
lack of power, examine and see if your spark is 
timed properly. 

A BACK FIRING can occur by having a leaking 
radiator and the same throwing water back on the 
distributor-head will cause electric spark to jump in 
the wrong cylinder. This can be remedied by wiping 
the water off of the distributor-head and putting a 
piece of cardboard or newspaper around the distribu¬ 
tor-head. It would also throw water back on the 
coil and that may become covered with water and the 
electric current will follow the water to the ground. 
The remedy is, wipe off the water and put newspaper 
or rags around it. This will serve to get you to the 
nearest garage. 

IN TIGHTENING NUTS which hold wires to 
spark plugs, the wires should be held stationary with 
one hand while the nuts are being tightened with a 
pair of pliers in the other hand. The wires should 
be left in such a position that their “spring” will 
tend to tighten rather than loosen the nuts. In tight¬ 
ening them with pliers care should be exercised to 
keep from twisting the central wire of the spark 
plug or electrode loose in the porcelain insulation. 

THE CAP OF THE GASOLINE TANK filler 
hole has in it a small hole, if the gasoline system is 
of the gravity feed type or vacuum system type, this 



50 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


is to allow air to enter the tank so that the gasoline 
flowing out will not leave a vacuum which will, 
finally, become so strong as to stop the flow of 
gasoline to the carburetor. When gasoline fails to 
reach the carburetor, at any time, make sure this 
vent is open before looking for stoppage. 

SOMETIMES NEW VIBRATORS WILL NOT 
WORK even though the vibrator points are good 
and properly adjusted. When this happens look 
under the vibrator tongue and see if there is not 
some varnish between it and the coil core. Occa¬ 
sionally some varnish gets in here, when the coil 
box is being varnished, and then the vibrator simply 
does not have space, about an eighth of an inch, to 
work properly. To remove the varnish it will usually 
be necessary to take off the vibrator points and clean 
the varnish away with a knife or piece of sandpaper. 
When the points are replaced it will be found that 
your vibrator is “ right on the job.” 

DISTRIBUTOR HEAD CAN BECOME 
GUMMED and full of dirt, inside, on roder track. 
You will be unable to start. To remedy same, take 
off distributor-head and wipe off roder track with a 
rag saturated in a little oil. 

A CAR REFUSING TO START WITH SELF 
STARTER may be caused by the main starting brush 
being dry and will not drop on the comutator. The 
remedy: Get a few drops of oil around the hinging 
points of the brush, then work brush up and down 
lantil same works freely. May also be caused by not 
making good contact at battery or starter switch, or 
exhausted battery. 

IN CASE YOUR MOTOR WILL NOT START, 

don’t keep flooding your carburetor. Prime the 
motor by putting gas in the pet cocks. If this 
doesn’t work, look for ignition trouble or you may 
have your motor flooded with too much gas and you 
will have to open your pet cocks and allow the sur- 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


51 


plus gas to escape. In doing this the motor will 
have to be started. This drives out gas vapor and 
allows clean air to enter when your mixture will 
assume the proper proportions permitting the motor 
to start. Use your starter or hand crank, with igni¬ 
tion switch on, to turn over motor. Pet cocks must 
then be closed before starting your car. 

A VACUUM TANK REFUSING TO WORK 

may be caused by a loaded float; small pins working 
out; valve seats becoming loose in the head and 
Hopper valve in lower chamber; dirt may get in 
flopper valve in lower chamber. An indication of a 
loaded float will be discovered by taking off vacuum 
pipe leading from intake manifold to top of vacuum 
tank and by pulling pipe away from tank quickly. 
You will notice gas dropping from pipe or if vacuum 
valve seat is loose, in head, it will indicate same. If 
vacuum valve seat is the cause of the trouble take 
off vacuum tank head and take a hammer and a 
small punch and tap metal around valve with punch 
to make it stay in place. If float is loaded let your 
tank fill up and pull off pipe. You will be able to 
run two or three miles and then replace pipe and let 
tank refill. Repeat this until you can reach a garage 
where you can have the float repaired. If float be¬ 
comes loaded in carburetor and carburetor floods 
with gas, turn off the valve in main supply pipe until 
you think it has about the right amount of feed. This 
will stop carburetor from over flooding. 

WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR A BADLY 
LEAKING RADIATOR? By putting bran or corn¬ 
starch in the radiator you could stop the leak. If 
not possible to procure these things, a wad of chew¬ 
ing gum pasted on the holes would stop it for the 
time being. If tube were cut away, you could run 
your car by pinching the ends shut with a pair of 
pliers. 

If you would meet with an accident and your 



52 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


radiator would be smashed and it would be impossible 
to get one fasten a barrel or some kind of vessel on 
the running board or where the radiator was but 
you must do as follows: Fasten your lower hose or 
hose from pump on side of barrel at bottom and 
upper hose put in at top, cover top of barrel to keep 
water from splashing out. This will work on either 
pump or Threma syphon. This will take you four 
miles. 

WHAT CAUSES A BOILING RADIATOR? A 

boiling radiator may be caused by a loose fan belt, 
not giving proper air circulation. The rubber on the 
hose leading from the radiator to the pump might 
be broken loose. A broken impeller in the pump 
stops the circulation of the water causing the water 
to boil. If your fan belt tore when you are miles 
away from a garage, and it was impossible to get one, 
you could use a belt from your body, or handker¬ 
chiefs, twisting them together like a rope. A retarded 
spark will also cause a radiator to boil. When this 
occurs, advance your spark. 

FROZEN RADIATOR will also cause the water 
to boil as your tubes are frozen and water can not 
circulate. 

QUICK ROAD REPAIR ON BROKEN AXLE. 

If your automobile’s rear axle, either right or left, 
breaks, a quick “ get home ” job can be made with a 
taper punch and a piece of board. Remove the 
differential case cover, insert the punch in the hole 
to keep the gear from turning on the broken side, 
and wire the board just to the running-board and 
the rear end of the spring or mud guard. The board 
holds the axle in, and the punch keeps the axle and 
it’s gear from making the differential action, thus 
allowing the car to be driven home under it’s other 
axle. 

WHEN THE GREASE WORKS ENDWAYS 
THROUGH THE AXLE HOUSING and comes out 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


53 


in the brake drum it is because the big felt washer 
has become inefficient or because your differential 
may be too full of oil. A new one can be easily 
made from the felt collar pads to be found in any 
harness shop. 

IF A MULTIPLE DISC CLUTCH WITH AS¬ 
BESTOS LINED PLATES WILL START TO 
SLIP, wash out thoroughly with gasoline, pull up 
your emergency brake tight, hold down your foot 
brake so car will not move, putting it in low gear, 
and speed your motor up and make clutch slip until 
the plates get hot. then use a jack or some other 
means, to prop out clutch and leave same until cold. 

IF A LEATHER CLUTCH BURNT OUT you 
can get into a garage by taking the belt you wear 
around your body or any other leather you have, 
stop your motor and hold out your clutch then stick 
three or four pieces around clutch, hold out clutch, 
start motor and put it in gear and leave in clutch, 
you dare not lift clutch out to change gears. Lf 
leather is too thick, shape it down with a knife. 

IF A GEAR IS STRIPPED IN TRANSMIS¬ 
SION, whether it be high, intermediate or low, omit 
the one that is stripped. For example, second gear 
would be the one, start in low, pick up speed in low 
as much as possible and throw direct in high. 

IF YOU GET A THUMPING NOISE that would 
sound as though it were in the clutch, eight out of 
ten cases you will find it in the differential, by jacking 
up one rear wheel and turning wheel until you get 
thump and then continue turning wheel, you will get* 
the same noise at every other revolution. That will 
indicate that there is a chip in between the teeth 
of the bevel-ring or pinion gears. To remedy same, 
take out inspection hole plug and run a knife blade 
along each tooth until you find the chip, then take 
some cup grease out of one of your grease cups on 
car and fill that tooth with same and take a small 




54 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


punch and punch it loose, be careful that the chip 
stays in the cup grease and remove the cup grease 
and chip. If chip is in pinion gear you will have to 
remove cover and repeat the same operation. 

IF IT SHOULD HAPPEN THAT YOU 
WOULD GET A BROKEN STEERING ARM on 

the opposite side from the steering connection arm, 
take off the tie-rod that connects the both wheels 
together and this will enable you to use one wheel 
and to steer with it. 

A SLIPPING CLUTCH may be caused by not 
enough clearance on the clutch release, leather or 
plates, whichever it may be, saturated with oil, or 
either spring tension not strong enough. Now, the 
remedy for the same would be to wash out with 
gasoline, have your motor running, take a squirt 
gun and fill it with gasoline, hold your clutch out and 
try and get the gasoline between the clutch and the 
fly-wheel. Do that several times and then try to dry 
it up give it an application of Fullers earth or a 
small portion of pulverized rosin or if no rosin is 
to be had use some fine road dust. 

IF A MAN BROKE A FRONT WHEEL he 

could brace that up with a fence rail, of some kind,, 
placing same under the front axle and over the rear 
axle. Wire securely at both points. This will 
bring you home providing the distance is not too- 
great. You can only run backwards, however, with 
this temporary repair. 

SUPPOSE YOU HAD A GRAVITY FED CAR¬ 
BURETOR on your car and you got half way up- 
the hill and your car stopped. The best thing to do> 
is back down the hill and turn around and then 
proceed to back up the hill, because the gasoline 
tank will be higher than the carburetor and will give 
you a flow of gas. 

IF YOU HAVE STRIPPED DIFFERENTIAL. 
GEARS and if you have a full floating axle, you can. 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


55 


pull axle shaft out, but if semi-floating', remove 
wheels, take out keys, replace wheels and put the 
nut which holds wheel on the shaft on loose enough 
so that your wheels can revolve on the shaft. This 
will allow you to be towed in. 

IF YOU DISCOVERED YOU HAD BROKEN 
BALL-BEARINGS, the best thing would be to re¬ 
move broken ball then squirt engine oil into ball re¬ 
tainer or pack it with cup grease replace wheel and 
go for the nearest garage. 

LIGHTS GOING OUT may be caused by a burnt 
globe, bad contact in light, bad contact of switch, 
bad contact of storage battery and of a burnt out 
fuse. If the fuse is burnt out you can remedy the 
same by wrapping tin foil around the fuse cartridge 
or taking a cotterpin out of some part where there’s 
not a great strain upon it and break it in two, or 
cut it in two parts, and put half of the cotterpin 
back from where you have taken it out and put the 
other half back of the fuse cartridge and replace the 
cartridge, a small piece of wire or a pin can be used 
to make these connections. 

WORK AIDS 

In these days of unashamed profiteering the 
average automobile owner attends to many minor 
repairs and adjustments that in other and better 
days were entrusted to the garage or repair shop. 
Automobile work is dirty and a gloved hand 
makes a poor job of turning small screws and 
handling tools with accuracy and dispatch. Like¬ 
wise when one toys with transmission grease a 
liberal quantity of the material finds lodgment under 
the finger nails with the result that they remain in 
mourning for some time. 

CLEAN NAILS. The next time you tighten up 
that wobbly rear wheel or work about the rear axle 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


56 


housing, etc., scrape your finger nails over a cake of 
soap. The soap remains under the finger nails, dur¬ 
ing the work, and not only prevents dirt from enter¬ 
ing but assists during the latter washing operation. 

TO RESTORE THE ORIGINAL BRIGHT¬ 
NESS AND TRANSPARENCY TO CELLULOID 
WINDOWS, as used in car tops, one of the best 
methods is to do the following: Get from the drug 
store two ounces of Clodium, two ounces of alcohol 
and four ounces of Acetone. Mix these together and 
rub over the celluloid. Sometimes, during the winter, 
when it becomes necessary to prime your motor to 
secure a start you have been at your wits ends when 
you have found yourself without a container of some 
sort for the priming fluid. The next time that this 
happens take one of your tire valve caps, tie a string 
around it, and lower this improvised dipper into the 
fuel tank. It will bring up sufficient gasoline to 
prime the engine. 

FEW OWNERS ARE AWARE OF THE 
VALUE OF SOAP for sealing leaky joints in the 
gasoline system. Often gasoline oozes out around 

the filler-cap, especially when the tank is nearly full. 
The gasoline then spreads over the outside of the 
tank, collects dust, and impairs the finish. A coat¬ 
ing of ordinary soap on the gasket and threads will 
prevent leakage. When joints develop small leaks, a 
coating of soap will usually close them. 

Removing the wheels is usually a hard job, but 
if you know how, it is as easy to do as anything else 
about the car. Tie a piece of rope to either side of 
the wheel, leaving enough room to insert a jack 
between the rope and the end of the spindle. Place 
the foot of the jack against the rope, and the head 
against the end of the axle; then slowly work the 
jack so that a pulling force is put on the wheel 
through the rope. This method is one that should 
be remembered for it will remove the tightest wheel. 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


57 


OFTENTIMES THE APPEARANCE OF A CAR 
is radically spoiled by the Water which has leaked 
or boiled from the radiator top. This going down 
over the radiator has given it a rusty sloppy appear¬ 
ance. To eliminate this trouble take some heavy 
cup grease and rub same on the threads of the 
rubber gasket of the radiator top. This will keep the 
water from either leaking or boiling out this top 
and will also aid you in taking it off. 

TIRE TALKS 

KEEP YOUR SPARE’ TIRES locked with a 
chain or some first class device which will insure 
protection from petty thieves. 

NEVER LEAVE YOUR CAR UNATTENDED, 

even for only a short time, without locking it. The 
majority of cars, that are stolen, are taken at such 
times and places that the ordinary person would not 
for a moment give the subject of theft a thought. 
Put some distinguishing mark upon your car which, 
if the occasion should arise, can be used for future 
identification. 

IF THE FLOORS OF GARAGES are not kept 
clean and the tires come into contact with small 
pools of oil the trends will soften and the traction 
strain in services stretches the rubber in wavy out¬ 
line. When this occurs you can start right in figur¬ 
ing on the price of a new tire. 

DON’T OVERLOAD YOUR TIRES. A tire will 
“ give out ” and go “ down and out ” sooner from 
overloading than from almost any other cause. 

DON’T NEGLECT SMALL TIRE CUTS. These 
will often extend further than you think. Dirt, oil 
and wet get in, the fabric rots, and a blowout fol¬ 
lows. 

DON’T KEEP A SPARE TIRE out of use too 

long, change over occasionally. A tire lasts better 



58 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


in use than exposed to the sun and rain on the 
running board. 

DON’T RUN ON A FLAT TIRE. It is much 
better to run on the rim, if only for a short distance 
than try to run when the tire is flat or take out the 
inner tube and strip the shoe over the rim if the 
tire is not worth repairing. 

NEVER IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES allow oil, 

grease or gasoline to remain on your tires. They 
all destroy rubber. Wash your tires with only pure 
cold water and a little soap. 

DON’T TRY TO FORCE A TIRE onto the 

wheel. If it goes unusually hard, look for some 
trouble. Perhaps the valve stem is not in place 
properly. 

BE CAREFUL NOT TO PINCH THE INNER 
TUBE when applying or removing an outer casing. 
Pass the hand around, inside, before reapplying the 
outer head. 

SOMETIMES THROUGH CARELESSNESS or 

in looking for a bargain, the Motorist will purchase 
straight side tires for use in clincher rims. In such 
a case the side walls are almost sure to be cut or 
chafed and the tires ruined. If it is necessary to 
use a straight side tire, on a clincher rim, first fit 
filler beads into the rim clinches. Be Careful that 
your rims do not get rusty. Common stove polish 
will keep them in good condition. 

A fellow who doesn’t know the trick will take 
about twice as long to pump up a tire with a hand 
pump as will the chap who knows how. Short, 
jerky strokes that bring the pump-plunger only part 
of the way up and down the barrel are the kind 
which quickly tire you; and, besides, such strokes 
takes much more time to fill the tire with air. Pull 
the plunger slowly all the way up; then force it down 
again just as slowly. By so doing you get the benefit 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


59 


of the full volume of air in the pump cylinder and 
you eliminate that tired feeling which accompanies 
the short, jerky stroke. 

CAUSES OF TUBE INJURY 

CARRYING THE SPARE TUBE UNPRO¬ 
TECTED, IN TOOL BOX OR LOCKER. Torn 
or gashed by tools; worn at corners where folded. 
Soaked in oil or grease, causing rot. Tube in its 
protecting bag should be dusted with Talc to pre¬ 
vent chafing. 

IMPROPER APPLICATION OF TALC USING 
NOT ENOUGH OR TOO MUCH. Not enough 
Talc causes insufficient lubrication and the tube 
sticks to the casing. Too much Talc causes diffi¬ 
culty because the Talc collects in a puddle, hard¬ 
ens and injures the tube. 

IMPROPER APPLICATION OF THE TUBE 
INSIDE CASING. Pinching tube between casing- 
and rim. In applying tire to rim. valve stem must 
not be at an angle; this may tear and pinch the 
tube. Improper adjustment of flaps, causing tube 
pinching or puncture. Injured by tire tools. 

PUNCTURES, FROM OUTSIDE AND INSIDE 
INFLUENCES. Nails, glass or other sharp frag¬ 
ments that cut through casing and tube. Sharp par¬ 
ticles in the casing, including- dirt, grit and flakes 
from rusty rims, cause tube punctures and slow 
leaks. All dirt should be cleaned from inside of tire 
before tube is inserted. 

UNDERINFLATION CAUSED BY LEAKY 
VALVES OR SLOW LEAKS IN THE TUBE 
MAY CAUSE FABRIC BREAKS AND STONE 
BRUISES. These, in turn, cause blow-outs and 
tube failures through pinching. Running on flat 
tire grinds holes in the tube, often tears out valves. 




60 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


UNDERINFLATION 

When tires are run in a flabby, underinflated con¬ 
dition, trouble is sure to develop. They easily be¬ 
come stone-bruised and cut and rim cut because they 
cannot react to shocks like those tires that are in¬ 
flated to the right air pressure. The fabric in the 
side walls may crack around the entire circumfer¬ 
ence, resulting in a blow-out. This is due to the 
constant flexing and bending as the tire rolls along 
under the weight of car and load. Heat is generated 
very much the same as in the case of bending a wire 
rapidly backwards and forwards. Under this ex¬ 
cessive heat and constant bending, the rubber in the 
carcass is rendered incapable of holding and the 
fabric in the side wall chafes and breaks, causing a 
decided weakness at this point in the tire. You can 
avoid this by keeping your tires properly inflated. 
Keep a pressure gauge handy and do it yourself. Be 
sure to watch your air pressure, as it is easy to ruin 
a tire by neglecting this feature of tire care. 

OVERSIZE TIRES AND ADVANTAGES 

Overloading a car effects the tires very much in 
the same way as underinflation. The side walls may 
crack, causing quick ruin to the tire. An over-size 
tire will take care of this overloading. It means 
from 30 to 35 % greater air cushion, as it has an 
extra ply of fabric and a thicker tread than the tire 
next below in size. Increased resiliency means less 
wear and tear on both your tire and car. With an 
oversize tire on your car, you secure these advant¬ 
ages, greater mileage, less liability of tire injuries 
less wear on your car and greater comfort in riding. 
You get greater mileage because those heavy loads 
are resisted by a greater air cushion. You have less 
tire injuries because the increased air capacity gives 
better protection against bumps and bruises. All of 
this means less cost per tire mile and at a reduced 
repair cost for your car. 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


61 


SUGGESTIONS FOR TIRE USERS 

Keep your tires properly inflated. 

Be sure to repair little tread cuts regularly. 

Prevent blow-outs by avoiding severe jolts and by 
maintaining full air pressure. 

Have mud boils cleaned out and repaired at once. 

Always be careful in applying tubes. 

Always keep front wheels in alignment. 

Use Talc in the casing, but don’t use too much. 

Avoid ruts and trolley car tracks thus saving the 
side walls. Apply chains properly; always keep them 
in your car when not in use. Avoid sharp obstruc¬ 
tions. Always keep your tires free from grease, oils 
and acids, this can be easily accomplished by using 
a rag dampened with gasoline. Examine clincher 
rims occasionally for irregularities and rust. 

Prevent damage from rust by using a good rim 
paint. Always carry spare tubes in your car. Spare 
tubes should be carried in a bag. 

Be sure that nothing on the machine scrapes the 
tires as they revolve. 

MISALIGNMENT 

Bumping into curbs, striking holes in the road 
at a high speed, turning out into deep gutters, and 
similar strains and shocks are likely to cause mis¬ 
aligned or wobbly wheels or even both. Wheels 
wobbling are oftentimes caused by worn or broken 
bearings in the hub; by bent axles or spindles, or by 
the careless and improper application of demount¬ 
able rims. These causes are common and probably 
one-third of the cars are affected either by mis¬ 
aligned or wobbly wheels. When this happens the 
wheels travel with a skidding, side grinding action, 
this wears the tread down very quickly. It means 
that another side-wearing friction is added to the 
natural friction of the road and the result is readily 
seen. You should have your wheels examined, or 
examine them yourself at least twice a month. If 




62 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


the wheels are found to be more than a quarter of 
an inch out of parallel, or if they run with a wobbly 
motion, find the cause and correct it. You may be 
robbing yourself of many thousands of miles in tire 
service. 

TREAD CUTS 

If your tire receives a small tread cut and the cut 
is not attended to it will soon grow in size causing 
quick ruin to the tire. Tread cuts are easily caused. 
A sharp stone, piece of glass, iron flanges with sharp 
edge, tin, all these will often times inflict small cuts 
on the tread of your tire. 

Water and sand get into these small cuts and to¬ 
gether with the weight of the car soon cause the 
hole to enlarge. Perhaps the tread will begin to 
separate from the different plies of fabric or cord 
material, unless properly cared for, the cuts will 
weaken the inside carcass of the tire and a blow-out, 
ruining both tire and tube, is sure to follow. Watch 
for these little cuts on your tires at all times. Un¬ 
less they have gone too far, and the carcass has 
been infected, you can make the necessary repairs 
yourself. 

IN THE GARAGE 

Don’t back the tires against hot steam pipes. 
High heat ruins the rubber tread. 

If a spot is burnt, it is possible to vulcanize it. 
The carcass may appear sound, but it also has been 
somewhat affected and this damage cannot be re¬ 
paired. Don’t let the tires stand in a pool of oil on 
the garage floor. Grease and oil cause the rubber 
to rot, lose its hold on the fabric, stretch and pull 
loose. A freshly oiled road also greases the rubber. 
In all cases it is best to clean off the oil with a rag 
moistened in gasoline. When the hot exhaust gases 
play on the spare tire, hung in rear of the car, the 
rubber is burnt and rendered lifeless. Keep your 
spares hung away from the exhaust, and protect 
them by using tire covers. Heat and light cause the 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


63 


rubber to dry and check, and when the tires are 
used the treads will wear more quickly. The use of 
tire covers will prevent this deterioration. 

SCRAPED SIDE WALLS 

When the tire is scraped against curbs, or in ruts, 
the rubber on the side wall is often gouged off. The 
evil effect is not in losing the rubber, but in the re¬ 
sulting exposure of the fabric of the tire to mois¬ 
ture, rotting and further cuts. 

SCRAPED TREAD 

When brakes are unequally adjusted, all the work 
of stopping the car falls on the wheel with the tight¬ 
est brake. Your tire is then worn off irregularly 
at the spots in contact with the road when the car 
is suddenly brought to a halt. 

USE OF CHAINS 

Whenever chains are used in case of emergency, 
be sure that they are not applied too tightly, as this 
causes all the wear to come in spots. 

Do not apply chains to one rear wheel only, be¬ 
cause the tire with chains will grip the road, while 
the other tire spins and wears the tread. Always 
apply the chains with the hooks pointing out to 
prevent them from gouging the side walls. The 
smoothest surface of the chains should be towards 
the tire always. Never reverse the chains by plac¬ 
ing the worn side against the tires for the edges of 
the links, sharpened by use, will cut the tread. 

RUNNING IN CAR TRACKS 

A tire is worn down when driven in car tracks 
because the formation of the track causes part of the 
tire to overhang, putting an undue strain on the 
part forced to carry the whole load. 

Car tracks makes easy but costly riding. When 
this abuse is practised continuously the tracks cut a 
channel in the rubber at the point of contact with 
the tire. Running in car tracks causes all the weight 



64 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


to be thrown on one shoulder of the tire, ultimately 
breaking down the side wall. This result is the 
same as that cause by overloading. Switch points 
and crossings cut the tread, especially on wet days. 
Accidents to your automobile are likely to occur, 
as the tire slides on wet tracks when the brakes are 
applied suddenly. Car track riding is rather expen¬ 
sive luxury, why do it? 

WARPED RIM REPLACED ON WHEEL 

There is hardly anything more annoying in the line 
of emergency repairs, or accidents happening to 
a car than to find upon taking your rim off the 
wheel, in the case of a blow-out, to find that it 
is warped and, upon trying to replace it upon 
the wheel, realize that it refuses to go back. 
If this should ever occur to you the following 
remedy will quickly bring the stubborn rim 
back to its place and save you untold time and 
trouble; Insert the valve stem through the hole in 
the wheel having same, as always, at the top of the 
wheel. Then turn wheel until the valve stem is 
around at the bottom of the wheel. After having 
gotten as much of the rim on as possible, remove 
your jack and allow wheel to rest upon the ground. 
Now, take your jack and place the base of it against 
the hub of your wheel with the top resting against 
the part of the rim which has refused to go upon 
wheel. By raising your jack, carefully, you will find 
that the obstreperious rim quickly will jump back 
into place on the wheel and your troubles are again 
over. 

LUBRICATION 

ENGINE LUBRICATION 

The best grade of oil to be used in the automobile 
engine depends upon a number of factors, such as 
power-plant type and condition, lubricating system 
used and climatic conditions. The essential point 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


65 


to be observed is 1 to select an oil of sufficient body 
and fire test so it will produce a film between all 
friction surfaces even when the parts become heated. 
The degree of fluidity must be suited to the system 
of supplying the oil to the working parts employed. 
Lighter bodied oil is needed in winter than in 
summer. The degree of wear between engine parts 
also governs oil selection to a degree, as a worn 
engine requires heavier bodied oil than one in which 
the bearing parts fit more closely together. 

The proper oil for the lubricating system of old- 
type cars, which consists of a mechanical force feed 
oiler at the side of the engine crank case with ex¬ 
posed pipes, must have an extremely low cold test, 
that is, it must remain fluid at very low tempera¬ 
tures. In the systems where the oil supply is car¬ 
ried in a sump integral with engine crank-case and 
without sight feed glasses or exposed pipes, the lu¬ 
bricant need not be of such low cold test, because 
all parts of the engine become heated enough to 
promote positive circulation of oil soon after the 
engine starts. 

The use of too much oil will result in carbon de¬ 
posits in cylinders and will be evidenced by clouds 
of white or gray smoke issuing from exhaust pipe 
when engine is raced. Not enough oil will pro¬ 
duce overheating as will oil that has not enough 
body. If an engine that has been run for a time 
is noisy, try a heavier oil if a light bodied oil has 
been used regularly. Air cooled engines require a 
heavier bodied oil than water cooled types do be¬ 
cause they run hotter, and the oil will thin down 
quicker, especially in summer. 

Use only cylinder oils recommended by the car 
maker or reputable manufacturer of lubricants. For 
new. engines, oil of medium grade in body and 
clear, pale amber color will be found suitable. 

Besides the cylinders and interior parts, there are 
a number of other points about an engine needing 



66 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


oiling. When the timing gears are housed in a 
casing distinct from the crankcase, care should be 
taken to keep the supply uniform in this case as 
well. About one pint of oil will be enough, and 
cylinder oil of heavy body should be used. The 
starting crank bracket bearing should be oiled with 
an oil can, the pump shaft by screwing down the 
grease cups on the bearings. Mutton Tallow and 
Graphite are the best lubricants for this purpose. 
The fan bearings are usually of the ball type and 
fan hub can be packed with light cup grease or 
vaseline at the beginning of each season. If a 
grease cup is provided, it should be screwed down 
daily. 

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS 

Special care is needed in oiling electrical appa¬ 
ratus. Only light spindle or sewing machine oil 
should be employed and then in small quantities. 
The timer, if of the platinum contact point type, 
needs lubrication only at the bearing points. If a 
roller contact type, use sewing machine oil sparingly 
in timer interior. Never use grease or graphite, the 
latter short-circuits the current, the former gums up 
and interferes with good contact between roller and 
segments. Avoid the use of machine or cylinder 
oil in magneto, generator and starting motor bear¬ 
ings, use only light oil and a few drops at a time. 
If these bearings are oiled too frequently, the wind¬ 
ings or armature may become oil soaked. This will 
result in short-circuiting. Avoid the use of oil in 
magneto contact breaker or distributor, these parts 
are intended to run without oil. 

CLUTCH LUBRICATION 

A cone clutch requires lubrication only at three 
points; these are the spigot bearing, the ball thrust 
and the clutch release yoke or rolls. The spigot 
and ball thrust bearings are usually supplied with 
light grease thru a grease cup. The release yoke 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


67 


and rolls are nearly always oiled by hand, using an 
oil can and machine oil. The cone clutch leather 
must be kept pliable with neats-foot or castor oil; 
never use cylinder oil for this purpose. Oil accum¬ 
ulations on the clutch leather will cause slipping; 
these must be washed off with kerosene or absorbed 
with borax or fuller’s earth. 

Three and five plate clutches operate practically 
the same as a cone clutch and are intended to be 
run dry except for the points noted above. Multiple- 
disc clutches having the driving members faced with 
friction fabric are also intended to operate without 
oil between the friction surfaces in most cases. 

Multiple-disc clutches using all metal plates are 
usually enclosed in an oil retaining casing. These 
are intended to run in an oil bath. Clutches of this 
pattern are usually lubricated by putting in oil thru 
a filling plug, enough being used to almost touch 
the center shaft. A good lubricant for most disc 
clutches is a half and half mixture of light cylinder 
oil and kerosene. Special lubricant of the proper 
body for disc clutch oiling may be obtained on the 
open market. 

CHANGE SPEED GEAR LUBRICATION 

The most commonly used form of change speed 
gearing is the sliding gear type. The case is filled 
about half full with a semi-fluid grease or very heavy 
bodied steam engine cylinder oil. Avoid heavy 
greases; these will not properly lubricate the bear¬ 
ings and the revolving gears will cut channels in the 
grease so that none will get between the teeth. The 
grease must be light enough to be churned about by 
the gears. Do not use greases filled with wood 
fibres or granulated cork. These will cause rapid 
depreciation of bearings. 

Planetary gearsets are seldom used on modern 
cars. That on the Ford is oiled by the lubricant in 
the engine interior and operates in an oil bath. 




68 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


Where the gearing is carried in a separate case, as 
in old type cars, us,e a very light semi-fluid grease, 
introducing same with a syringe or oil gun thru 
suitable filling openings normally closed by remov¬ 
able plugs. 

Change speed gearing of the positive sliding 
clutch type with gears always in mesh or those of 
the same pattern employing silent chains, can be 
oiled by the same grease used in sliding gearsets. 
Friction disc forms use grease only at bearing 
points; no oil should be allowed to accumulate on 
the driving surfaces. This form of transmission is 
found only on obsolete designs. 

REAR AXLE LUBRICATION 

The differential gearing of most axle types is 
housed in a casing that will retain oil. Where bevel 
gearing is used a grease of about the same grade as 
that advised for sliding gears may be introduced 
thru a filling hole. Where worm gearing is used, 
the grease should be more fluid, it should be prac¬ 
tically a heavy oil, especially if the worm is mounted 
above the worm gear. This is an important point 
to observe as the oil must be lifted by the worm 
gear teeth to the worm and its supporting bearings. 

Many commercial vehicles use chains for driving 
from a jackshaft to rear wheels revolving on a fixed 
axle. Chains must be oiled frequently and with care. 
The points subject to wear are the roll bearing and 
link joint rivets. The best method to insure 
thorough lubricity of these points is to remove the 
chains from the sprockets, wash them thoroughly 
in gasoline or kerosene to remove all grit and then 
to immerse them in a mixture of molten tallow and 
graphite. Hang up the chains, allow them to drain 
off and then wipe off all surplus lubricant from 
the chain surface while that member is still hot. 
This process insures, thorough penetration to the 
bearing points. Oiling the chain surface with an 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


69 


oil can is not sufficient, as this surface oil only- 
collects grit. 

All shaft drive cars use one or two universal 
joints, depending on the method of housing the 
pinion driving shaft. If this is carried in a torque 
tube but one joint is used, that at the upper end. 
Universal joints are usually encased and this casing 
may be filled with very light grease. On old pattern 
cars using open joints, leather bags should be made 
to lace around the joints, these being filled with 
light grease. These covers serve the dual purpose 
of protecting the joint from grit and retain lubri¬ 
cant as well. 

MISCELLANEOUS CHASSIS POINTS 

Wheel Bearings: —The anti-friction bearings used 
in both front and rear wheels are intended to be 
packed with light grease and if the supply in the 
wheel hubs is renewed several times each season, no 
trouble will be experienced at this point. Axle bear¬ 
ings of the roller type are usually greased by small 
compression grease cups on the housing, as are 
torque tube bearings. 

Springs:—The niain point to lubricate on the sus¬ 
pension members are the spring shackle bolts. These 
are oiled with machine oil if provided with oil cups 
and with grease if compression cups are fitted. The 
spring seats on some rear axles are also fitted with 
cups to receive lubricants if these members are in¬ 
tended to oscillate on the axle housings. Every 
season, the springs should be taken apart, all rust 
removed from between the leaves and light grease 
and graphite smeared between the leaves when the 
springs are reassembled. 

Steering Gear: —The housing at the lower end of 
the column is usually provided with a filling plug 
thru which cup grease may be introduced until gear 
housing is full. A grease cup .is often provided 




70 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


thru which additional lubricant may be introduced. 
Oil must be squirted in between the column tube 
and steering post periodically, also on the spark and 
throttle control members if these pass thru the 
steering post center. The ball points on drag link 
and yoke bearings on tie bar must be kept oiled or 
greased as the case may be. The compression cups 
on the steering knuckle must also be screwed down 
periodically. 

Control Members:— The hand levers for shifting 
gears and applying the emergency brakes and the 
clutch and brake pedals are located on concentric 
shafts in some cars and these shaft bearings must 
be oiled by hand oil can in most cases. The small 
rod end pins on brake rods and the bearings on 
axle supporting the brake control shafts also de¬ 
mand frequent attention with the hand oil can. 

Draining Off Used Lubricant:—As any oil or 
grease is used, it gradually depreciates in value as a 
lubricant. The oil used in constant level splash sys¬ 
tems of engine lubrication becomes impregnated 
with caronaceous matter and metal dust due to 
attrition of the bearings and other internal parts. 
That used in gear sets may contain small metal 
particles chipped off of the gears when these are 
clashed in shifting and the oil in the differential 
housing also becomes dirty as used. In other words, 
oil may “wear out” and become unsuitable as a 
lubricant when used continuously. Most engine 
builders recommend thoroughly draining out the 
engine crankcase every 1000 miles, washing out all 
sediment with kerosene and replenishing the supply 
with clean, new oil. The smallest automobile engine 
crankcase will need about a gallon to refill, those of 
larger engines may require two or three gallons. 

A multiple-disc clutch case should be cleaned out 
frequently, usually as often as the engine receives 
attention. Gearboxes and rear axles should be 
washed out every 2000 miles and new clean lubricant 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


71 


used in refilling. Where grease cups are employed, 
the new grease forces out the old lubricant as the 
cup is screwed down, so a constant supply of clean 
grease is insured. Similarly, those points lubricated 
with fluid oils are supplied with clean oil from the 
hand oil can as the used oil leaks out gradually 
from between the surfaces. Keep all surfaces ex¬ 
posed to the dust wiped clean of lubricant as this 
serves no useful purpose, merely attracting road grit. 
Keep all oil and grease from the tires, rubber hose 
connections of the cooling system and insulation 
of the ignition wires, because lubricants have a 
soluble action on rubber or compounds containing 
that material. 

Use Good Motor Oil: All lubricants should be 
tested with blue litmus paper to be sure no acids are 
present. This paper can be secured at low cost at 
any drug store and will turn red if any acid is found 
in the oil. It is not economy to purchase inferior 
oils carbonized motors, burned out bearings, over¬ 
heating and loss of power will surely result. Oil 
must be free from dirt and lint before introduction 
to the engine and it is well to strain it through a 
fine mesh brass or copper screen before using. 

Oil that is drained from the engine base should 
not be thrown away as useles. Place some clean 
waste or cheesecloth in a large funnel and pour the 
oil through this into a can for further use on ex¬ 
posed engine parts, control rods, spring shackles 
and all other uses where machinery oil could be 
used. The cheesecloth or waste filters the oil and 
removes grit and carbon, making it suitable where oil 
of high quality is not needed. It should never be 
used in engine, however, after reclaiming. 

Regulation of Oil Pressure Important: —The pres¬ 
sure of the oil in modern engines is maintained by 
an engine driven pump and varies from a maximum 
of three pounds to fifteen pounds, depending upon 
the car. An automatic release and by-pass valve 




72 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


is included in the system to keep the pressure from 
running too high, this valve being adjustable. Care 
must be taken that the oil will by-pass at the proper 
gauge pressure. If the oil pressure is too low, 
tighten the by-pass valve spring. If too high, re¬ 
lease the spring tension. The oil gauge on dash 
should always indicate pressure when the engine is 
running, this increasing as the engine runs faster up 
to the maximum pressure at which the relief valve 
is set. Adjustments to pressure regulating valves 
should be made only when engine and oil is warmed 
up. Failure of gauge to indicate any but low pres¬ 
sures or a jumping pointer shows that lint or dirt 
is present under relief valve, keeping it open. The 
remedy is to clean out the valve. 

HINTS FOR LOCATING DELCO TROUBLE 

(1) If starter, lights and horn all fail, the trouble 
is in the storage battery or in connections, such as 
a loose or corroded connection or a broken battery 
jar. (2) If the lights, horn and ignition are all O. 
K., but the starter fails to crank, the trouble is in 
the moter generator, such as dirt or grease in the 
motor commutator. (3) If the starter fails to crank 
or cranks very slowly, and the lights go out or get 
very dim while cranking, it indicates a loose or 
corroded connection on the storage battery, or a 
nearly depleted storage battery. (4) When two 
sets of batteries are used for ignition purposes, the 
following tests may be made: If the motor fires 
properly on the “ M ” button, but not on the “ B ” 
button, the trouble must be in the wiring between 
the dry cells or the wires leading from the dry cells 
to the combination switch, or depleted dry cells. 
If the ignition works O. K. on the “ B ” button and 
not on the “ M ” button, the trouble must be in the 
leads running from the storage battery to the motor 
generator, or the lead running from the rear ter¬ 
minal on the generator to the combination switch 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


73 


or in the storage battery itself, or its connection to 
the frame of the car. (5) If both systems of igni¬ 
tion fail, and the supply of current from both the 
storage battery and dry cells is O. K., the trouble 
must be in the coil, resistance unit, timer contacts 
or condenser. This is apparent from the fact that 
these work in the same capacity for each system 
of ignition. 

DEFECTS IN COMPONENTS 


STORAGE BATTERY 


Defects Trouble Caused Remedy 

Electrolyte Low Weak Current Replenish With 

Distilled Water 


Loose Terminals Misfiring Tighten 


Sulphated Ter- Misfiring 
minals 


Clean Thoroughly 
and Coat with 
Vaseline 


Battery Dis- Misfiring or no 
charged Spark 

Electrolyte Weak Weak Current 

Plates Sulphated Poor Capacity 

Sediment or Mud Weak Current 
in Bottom 

Active Material Poor Capacity 
Loose in Grids 


New Charge 


Bring to Proper 
Specific Gravity 

Special Slow 
Charge 

Clean Out 
New Plates 


Moisture or Acid Shorts Terminals Remove 
on Top of Cells 

Plugged Vent Buckles Cell Jars Make Vent Hole 
Cap 

Cracked Vent Acid Spills Out New Cap 
Cap 

Cracked Cell Jar Electrolyte Runs New Jar 

Out 



74 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


CARE OF THE BATTERY 

The battery should be inspected frequently to see 
that the electrolyte does not get too low; the 
electrolyte should be kept about one-half inch above 
the plates by the addition of pure water only. The 
specific gravity of the electrolyte gives an indica¬ 
tion of the charge, provided the solution is made up 
of just the proper proportion of chemically-pure 
sulphuric acid and water, as given in the instruc¬ 
tions furnished by the battery manufacturer. The 
specific gravity should therefore be tested every two 
weeks with hydrometer syringe which can be sup¬ 
plied by the battery manufacturer, electrical supply 
houses, or by auto accessory houses. A completely 
discharged battery containing the proper solution 
will indicate about 1.100 to 1.150, and well-charged 
battery will indicate about 1.275 to 1.300. Test each 
cell separately. 

Indication of Correct Solution —When the battery 
is fully charged and gassing freely, the specific grav¬ 
ity should be between 1.275 and 1.3. If materially 
higher, a little distilled water should be added; if 
materially lower add a very little chemically-pure 
sulphuric acid. In general, however, water only 
will be required. When addition of acids is neces¬ 
sary, follow closely instructions furnished with 
battery. 

FAULTS IN MOTORS AND GENERATORS 

While every effort has been made by the manu¬ 
facturers of electric starting and lighting systems tc 
have the various units function as nearly auto¬ 
matically as possible, it will be evident that some 
attention will be needed by the various units. The 
generator should be looked over from time to time 
and should any carbon dust be worn from the 
brushes by the commutator and deposited in the 
lower part of the casing it should be blown out with 
compressed air. It is stated that an accumulation 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


75 


of this dust may result in a ground to the generator 
case or produce a short circuit between the brush 
carrier and case. If the commutator is blackened 
or rough it must be smoothed down with fine sand¬ 
paper while the armature is rotating. Never use 
emery cloth for this purpose. After smoothing down 
the commutator remove all particles of metal which 
may bridge across between the copper segments. 
The insulating material between the commutator 
segments should not be higher than the surface of 
the segment, and if any of it projects it must be 
filed down slightly lower than the copper pieces by 
using a small file. 

Commutator and Brushes— Examine the commu¬ 
tator occasionally by removing the spring collar 
over the brushes. Keep the commutator free from 
dirt or oil, cleaning when dirty, with a cloth (not 
waste). When the commutator and brushes are in 
good condition they will show a glaze, and the 
commutator will be chocolate brown in color. The 
brushes should not be removed except in case of 
trouble. To remove brushes, lift the spring that 
holds the brush in the guide and take out the screw 
holding the brush shunt, then the brush can be 
slipped out. In removing each brush it should be 
remembered which side was turned up and each 
brush should be replaced in its original holder with 
proper side up. In putting in new brushes, care 
should be taken to see that they have a good bear¬ 
ing fit on the commutator. The original brushes in 
many units are long enough to last almost in¬ 
definitely. 

Low Generator Output With Normal or Low 
Voltage —Low generator output with normal or 
low voltage may indicate regulator out of adjust¬ 
ment, that is, spring holding contacts in closed posi¬ 
tion may need adjusting to hold contacts closed 

loneer, dirty or burned regulator contacts, 
ture short circuited, badly discharged battery, field 



76 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


coils connected wrong or partly shorted out, or, on 
third brush regulation, third brush my need adjust¬ 
ing. 

Low Output With High Voltage—Low Output 
with High Voltage indicates loose connections in 
battery circuit or battery circuit open. 

High Generator Output—High Generator Output 
may be caused by only one regulator point making 
contact, thereby cutting only half of regulating re¬ 
sistance into field circuit; regulator contacts may 
need adjusting so that spring does not hold them 
closed too long, or regulator contacts may be stick¬ 
ing closed. If third brush regulation is used, third 
brush may need adjusting. 

Generator Refusing to Charge Battery- Generator 
Refusing to Charge Battery may be caused by dirty 
or badly burned relay contacts, open circuit in wir¬ 
ing or connections, fuse out, very badly discharged 
or badly sulphated. 

Generator Refusing To Generate—Generator Re¬ 
fusing to Generate may indicate open field, field with 
two adjacent poles reversed, open circuit in wiring 
or connections, or armature open on opposite sides. 

SETTING BRUSHES ON GENERATORS 

All generator brushes should be set in the posi¬ 
tion of least sparking when carrying full load, which 
position will be located a short distance ahead in 
direction of rotation from the neutral plane. The 
brushes are in the neutral plane when at the posi¬ 
tion where the current is reversing in the winding, 
and, therefore, at the position where the highest 
voltage is obtained between brushes of opposite 
polarity. This position can be located by connecting 
a voltmeter between the brushes and moving the 
rocker ring until the point of highest voltage is 
reached. The voltage will decrease as the brushes 
are removed away from the neutral plane. 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


77 


SETTING BRUSHES ON MOTORS 

Motor brushes should be set at the position of 
least sparking when machine is carrying full load. 
This position will be located a short distance back 
(in the direction opposite to rotation from the neu¬ 
tral plane). To set motor brushes in the correct 
position, place machine on block test and apply a 
load approximately equal to that which it is nor¬ 
mally required to carry. (This load will be about 
40 pounds, on a pulley of six-inch diameter, or ten 
foot pounds for starting motors.) The speed of a 
motor is greatest when the brushes are at the neutral 
plane and decreases as they are moved away from 
that position. The voltage of a generator and speed 
of a motor can be changed considerably by moving 
the brushes, providing the machine is not too heav¬ 
ily loaded so that it will not spark badly. This is 
work that can best be done by the expert electrician. 

IGNITION COIL TEST 

A good ignition coil should produce a spark that 
will jump at least one-fourth-inch spark gap. Put 
the coil on test and see what it will do. If it pro¬ 
duces a good fat spark and does not miss at all after 
a three or four hour run, that is, after it is well 
heated up, it may be considered a good coil and fit 
for service. 

THIRD BRUSH ADJUSTMENT 

To raise the output upon a generator on which the 
third brush regulation is used it is necessary to re¬ 
move the third brush near the second main brush 
or farther away from the first main brush of op¬ 
posite polarity, which is the first main brush. Since 
the field is connected between the first main brush 
and the third brush, it can readily be seen that in¬ 
creasing the distance between these brushes will 
increase the voltage impressed upon the field which 
will also increase the field strength and in turn will 
increase the generator output, whereas removing 



78 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


the third brush farther away from the second main 
brush or nearer the first main brush will decrease 
the field strength and will decrease the generator 
output. Filing away a portion of the third brush 
so as to reduce the seat, will tend to throw the 
brush nearer or farther away from the second main 
brush. File only a small portion of the brush at a 
time, making tests by installing same and running 
the generator until the desired maximum output is 
obtained. This work is best done by an expert on 
generators. 

TROUBLE WITH LAMPS 

If the lamps will not light but the starter cranks 
the engine, this shows that the storage battery is in 
proper condition and that the trouble is due to 
burned out or broken lamp filament or defective 
lamp fuses. If the lamps burn brightly but fail to 
illuminate the road sufficiently, the bulbs may be 
out of focus in respect to the parabolic reflector of 
the lamp or the lamp supports may be bent in such 
a way that the rays of light may be directed too far 
upwards. If the lamps burn dimly or not at all and 
it is difficult to crank the engine with the starting 
motor, this means a weak or discharged storage 
battery. In addition to this, the lamps may be old 
and have blackened insides, the system might be 
slightly short circuited, or considerable resistance 
may be present, due to loose or dirty connections. 
If the lamps blacken or burn out quickly they are 
not of the proper quality if they are six volt lamps, 
and not of the proper voltage if other than six volt 
lamps. There is one exception to this rule, and that 
is the bulbs of the tail lamp and dash light, which 
are three volt lamps when these two are wired to¬ 
gether in series. Burning out of the lamps may be 
caused by the regulator not working properly, and 
if this is the case the lamps will burn out at high 
engine speed. If the lamps flicker and the ammeter 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


79 


or indicator needle is unsteady, look for loose con¬ 
nections in the light wires, loose connections be¬ 
tween battery and dynamo, loose contact at a lamp 
connector or lamp bulb, poor contact between fuses 
and fuse clips, or an exposed wire touching the 
frame intermittently. 

CIRCUIT-BREAKER ADJUSTMENT 

Circuit-breaker points should have a smooth, clean 
surface and make good contact. One of the points 
is mounted on the end of a screw which can be 
turned in or out to adjust the circuit-breaker gap. 
This gap should be adjusted to .020 to .025 inches. 
Three different metals are used for these points, 
silver, platinum, and tungsten. When silver points 
are used, a reversing switch should always be used, 
the reason for this being that the silver builds off 
from one contact to the other, and it is necessary 
to reverse the direction of current flow occasionally 
so that the silver will not all build up on one point 
leaving none on the other. Platinum or platino- 
irridium points are best. 

STARTING SWITCH 

Do not put oil on any part of the starting switch. 
In the switch for automatic pinion shift, the mov¬ 
ing contact should close firmly against the station¬ 
ary contacts, and the return spring in the switch 
should separate the contacts positively when pres¬ 
sure is removed from the foot button. 

HIGH RESISTANCE 

High resistance may result from poorly made or 
dirty connections, wires that are partially broken 
through; wires that are too small for the work they 
must do; or dirty, pitted and corroded contacts, in 
dynamo, cutout or regulating parts. A high resist¬ 
ance connection frequently occurs at the battery 
when battery terminals become corroded. We can¬ 
not lay too much stress upon a frequent considera- 



80 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


tion of battery connections. The heavy wires which 
lead to the battery, under the vibration of the car, 
frequently loosen. 


ENGINE RUNS IRREGULARLY OR 

MISFIRES 


IGNITION SYSTEM FAULTS 

Loose wiring or terminals. 

Broken spark plug insulator. 

Spark plug points sooted or oily. 

Wrong spark gap at plug points. 

Leaking secondary cable. 

Prematurely grounded primary wire. 

Batteries running down. (Battery ignition only.) 
Poor adjustment of contact points at timer. 

Loose platinum points in magneto. 

Weak contact spring. 

Broken collector brush. 

Dirt in distributor casing or contact breaker. 
Worn cam or contacts in timer. 

Dirty oil in timer. 

Timer contact points pitted. 

Punctured coil winding. 

Distributor contact segments rough. 

Sulphated storage battery terminals. 


IGNITION SYSTEM PARTS 


TIMER 

Defect Trouble Caused 


Remedy 

Grind down 
Smooth 


Contact Seg- Misfiring 
ments Worn or 
Pitted 


Platinum Points Misfiring 
Pitted 


Smooth with Oil 


Stone 
Clean Out 


Dirty Oil or Misfiring 
Metal Dust in 
Interior 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


81 


Defects Trouble Caused Remedy 

Worn Bearing Misfiring Replace 

Loose Terminals Misfiring Tighten 

Worn Revolving Misfiring Replace 

Contact Brush 

Out of Time Irregular Spark Reset 
Resistance Unit No Spark Replace with New 

Burnt Out 

INDUCTION COIL 


Defect Trouble Caused Remedy 


Loose Terminals Misfiring 
Defective 

Condenser JJ • 

Defective $ No s P ark 
Winding W 

Broken Connec- No Spark 
tions 

Poor Contact at Misfiring 
Switch 

Broken Internal No Spark 
Wiring 

Poor Coil Unit No Spark 


Tighten 

Send to Maker 
for Repairs 

Make New Joints 

Tighten 

Replace 

Replace 


WIRING 

Defect Trouble Caused Remedy 

Loose Terminals Misfiring Tighten 

Anywhere 

Broken Plug 
Wire 

Broken Timer 
Wire 

Broken Main 
Battery Wire 

Broken Battery 
Ground Wire 

Chafed Insula¬ 
tion Anywhere 

Short Circuit Misfiring Insulate Wire 

Anywhere 


One Cylinder Replace 
will Not Fire 
One Coil will not Replace 
Buzz 


No Spark Replace 




82 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


SPARK PLUGS 


Defect 

Trouble Caused 

Remedy 

Insulation 

Plug 

New 

Cracked 

Inoperative 

Insulation 

Insulation Oil 

Cylinder 

Clean 

Soaked 

Misfires 


Carbon Deposits 

Short Circuited 

Remove 


Spark 


Insulator Loose 

Cylinder Misfires Tighten 

Gasket Broken 

Gas Leaks By 

New Gasket 

Electrode Loose 

Cylinder Misfires Tighten 

on Shell 



Wire Loose in 

Cylinder Misfires Tighten 

Insulator 



Air Gap Too 

Short Circuits 

Set Correctly 

Close 

Spark 


Air Gap Too 

Spark Will Not 

Set Points 

Wide 

Jump 

Apart 

Loose Terminal 

Cylinder May 

Tighten 


Misfire 


Plug Loose in 

Gas Leaks 

Tighten 

Cylinder 



Mica Insulation 

Short Circuits 

Replace 

Oil Soaked 

Spark 


PERTINENT DON’TS 

Don’t replace 

worn-out brushes 

; with any others 


than those supplied by the manufacturer. 

Don’t put oil or grease on the commutator of the 
generator or motor. No lubrication is wanted there. 

Don’t turn the hose on the generator or motor 
when washing your car. 

Don’t attempt to propel car with starter. Such 
“ stunts ” are expensive. Gasoline is for that pur¬ 
pose. , . ' ' 

Don’t attempt to make adjustments of any kind 
in the circuit breaker. 

Don’t fuss with the system when it is operating 
properly. 





EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


83 


Never run the car with the storage battery dis¬ 
connected, or while it is off the car. Very serious 
damage to the motor-generator may result from 
such action. . 

Never remove any electrical apparatus from the 
car or make any adjustments without first discon¬ 
necting the storage battery. This can be done most 
conveniently by removing the ground connection. 
Remember a loose, corroded or dirty connection on 
the battery can put both starting and lighting sys¬ 
tems out of commission. 

STARTING AND LIGHTING SYSTEM 

TROUBLES 

IF STARTER WILL NOT TURN 

1. See that starter pedal is not sticking and goes 
all the way down. Disconnect storage battery under 
seat, if pedal sticks. 

2. Note whether starter gear goes into engage¬ 
ment. If starter spins, “nurse” the pedal until gear 
engages in mechanical shift systems. In automatic 
shift systems make sure spring is not broken or 
pinion is not stuck to thread on shaft. 

3. See that main leads between battery switch 

and starter are firmly connected, especially at the 
battery and starting switch. ... 

4. Battery may be discharged. 

5. Start with crank and report promptly to Serv¬ 
ice Station. • . 

IF STARTER TURNS MOTOR, BUT MOTOR 

WILL NOT FIRE 

1; Do not continue to “ churn ” motor, but check 
ovef motor conditions. See that— 

Ignition switch is in proper position. 

Throttle lever is open about one and one-half 
inches. 



84 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


Air choke lever is closed (in cool or cold 
weather). 

Gasoline line cock is open. 

See if any of the following Ignition System 
Troubles exist: 

Loose battery terminal. 

Broken insulation on two or three plugs. 

Carbon deposits or oil between plug points. 

Spark plugs points too near together or far 
apart. 

Wrong cables to plugs. 

Defects in induction coil. 

Short circuited secondary cable. 

Storage battery weak or discharged. 

Poor contact at switch. 

Primary wires broken, or short circuited. 

Battery grounded in metal container. 

Battery connectors broken or loose. 

Timer points out of adjustment. 

Poor contact at timer. 

Timer points dirty. 

Points not separating. 

Platinum contact points burnt or pitted. 

Oil in contact breaker. 

Oil soaked brush and collector ring. 

Distributor filled with carbon particles. 

2. With a very cold motor it may take some time 
to get an ignitable mixture into the cylinders, but if 
the air choke valve almost entirely closes the car¬ 
buretor intake a strong suction will draw gasoline 
into cylinders as effectively as priming. In extreme 
cold weather a prompt start will follow wrapping a 
hot water-soaked cloth about intake manifold. 

3. In moderate weather continued churning with 
the air choke closed will cause cylinders to flood. 
To clear motor open wide the air choke and throttle 
levers. If still unable to get an explosion, do not 
continue to apply starter, but look for the trouble. - 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


85 


All Lights Go Out—Ignition Fails—Starting 
Motor Dead —The cause for this is: (1) A loose con¬ 
nection either at battery terminals, at side battery 
of starting switch, or at point where battery is 
grounded to the frame of the car. (2) A loose con¬ 
nection at motor side of starting switch or at start¬ 
ing motor and the wire between the switches broken. 
(3) Loose connection at motor side of starting 
switch or at starting motor and a fuse burnt out. 

All Lights Go Out—Ignition Fails—Starting 
Motor O. K. —A short or open circuit in the wire 
between the starting switch and fuse block or the 
fuse being burnt out. Look first to see if this fuse 
is intact. If the fuse is burnt out make a careful 
examination—for grounds—of the wiring between 
the switch, the lamps and the ignition distributor 
before replacing with new fuse. See that all con¬ 
nections on the fuse block and the back of the 
switch are tight. 

All Lights Go Out—Igition and Starting Motor 

O. K. —It is evident that this trouble is confined to 
open circuits between the lighting switch and the 
lamps, loose connections at lighting switch or at 
lamps, or burned out bulbs. 

Ignition Fails—Lights and Starting Motor O. K. 
—This trouble may be traced to loose connections 
at the ignition switch, coil or ignition distributor, 
poor grounding of the switch (one wire system) 
or open circuits or short circuits between the igni¬ 
tion switch and distributor. See that the contact 
points in the breaker box are adjusted correctly and 
examine all high tension wires. 

Generator Test —A simple test to determine if the 
ignition generator is properly operating, if the am¬ 
meter pointer shows no indication, is first, switch 
all lights on with engine idle; second, start engine 
and run same reasonably fast. If lights brighten 
after starting engine it proves that the ignition gen- 




86 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


erator is properly delivering- current. This test 
must necessarily be conducted in the dark, either in 
garage or, preferably, at night time. Ammeter 
should indicate charge if in working order. 

STARTING MOTOR 

The closing of the starting switch completes the 
circuit and puts the starting motor in operation. If 
it does not spin the engine, release the switch at 
once, ascertain if all connections are tight and se¬ 
cure, that the motor brushes are bearing on com¬ 
mutator properly, and inspect the battery. If the 
starting motor turns the engine over very slowly, it 
is evident that the battery is weak or engine ex¬ 
ceptionally stiff, for some reason, probably over¬ 
heating or lack of lubricant. 

If the starting motor is spinning the engine at a 
reasonable cranking speed and the engine does not 
fire, the starting motor is performing its duty and 
the trouble is elsewhere. 

ALL LIGHTS GO DIM 

A short circuit between the battery and starting 
switch or between the starting switch and ignition 
generator would cause this trouble. The most prob¬ 
able cause is a discharged battery resulting from 
leaking of current due to short circuits in the wiringr 
using bulbs of higher candle power than those 
recommended; using low efficiency carbon filament 
bulbs, or defects in the generator which prevent it 
from charging properly. Make sure that the gen¬ 
erator protective fuses on the relay regulator base 
is not burned out. Another possible, tho hardly 
probable cause is that the relay points might remain 
closed. This would cause the current from the 
battery to be dissipated in the windings of the ig¬ 
nition generator. If this is the case the cover may 
be removed and the contact broken by releasing the 
relay blade with the finger. If the contact points 
are roughened or pitted, draw a piece of very fine 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


87 


sandpaper lightly between them and carefully re¬ 
move all dirt or dust. If the venerator protective 
fuse or circuit breaker is intact and the ignition 
generator is not charging properly, the relay-regula¬ 
tor cover should be removed and all contact points 
examined to make sure that they are not kept sep¬ 
arated by some small particle of foreign matter that 
is not capable of conducting electricity. A small 
quantity of dirt between the points will keep the 
generator current from flowing to the battery, and 
will naturally produce a discharged battery in time. 

One Light Goes Dim —The more probable causes 
of this are a defective bulb or connection at the 
lamp. If these are O. K. make an examination for 
short circuits in the wiring to the lamp. 

One Light Flickers —Loose or frayed connection 
at lamp or at switch. An intermittent ground or 
short circuit in the wiring to the lamp. Bulb loose 
in socket. 

Tail Light Goes Out— Look first for a burned-out 
bulb. Then see that the wire to the lamp is not 
broken, that connections at switch and lamp are 
tipdit and that the body of the lamp is making good 
electrical connection with the frame of the car, if a 
one wire circuit is employed. 

Cowl Light Goes Out —Make an examination, same 
as in preceding paragraph, of cowl light circuit. In 
most cases cowl or instrument lights and the tail 
light are connected in series so if one goes out, the 
other does also. 

Head Lights Go Out —Make examination of head 
light circuit. 

One Head Light Goes Out —It is evident that this 
trouble is confined to an open circuit between the 
junction and the lamp, bad connection at lamp, 
burned out bulb, or frame of lamp not grounded 
properly (one wire system). 



88 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


GROUNDS AND SHORT CIRCUIT 

If the insulation is worn off any one of the wires 
and the copper touches any of the metal parts of 
the car, a short circuit will result which will either 
render the system inoperative by blowing - out one or 
both of the fuses or will discharge the battery. 
Short circuits may result from two bare wires com¬ 
ing into contact, but, in general, where short cir¬ 
cuits are mentioned a contact of a bare wire with 
some of the metals parts of the car is referred to. 
By “open circuits ” is meant broken wires, fuse 
burnt out, or proper connections not made to the 
frame. It should be borne in mind that inasmuch 
as the frame of the car forms one-half of the elec¬ 
trical circuit between the lamps, the ignition switch 
and the battery, the frames of the lamps and the 
proper terminals of the ignition switch and battery 
should be well grounded to the frame of the car at 
all times. In the Delco system, fuses are replaced 
by a protective circuit breaker, which opens and 
vibrates when any wire is shorted, thus giving a 
warning. 

THE TEST LAMP 

The Test Lamp is a very convenient means of in¬ 
dicating by means of a flow of current whether a 
circuit is complete through a certain path or not. 
If one side of ordinary drop cord, as used for shop 
and garage lighting, is opened, the lamp can be used 
as a test lamp. Cutting one wire will open the cir¬ 
cuit and prevent the lamp from lighting as long as 
the two ends are separated, but when the ends are 
brought together the circuit will be complete as will 
be indicated by the lamp lighting. The lamp may 
be used as a tester by touching the two free ends 
to any points between which it is desired to make 
a test. For example, with the wire ends touching 
the two ends of the conductor that is completing the 
circuit, the lamp will light because the circuit is now 
made through the conductor being tested. If the 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


89 


conducting path is not complete the lamp will not 
light, indicating an open circuit. 

In case it is desired to know whether or not a 
wire is grounded, one of the test wires may be 
touched to the metal of the car and the other to 
the wire to be tested. If the test lamp is lighted it 
indicates that the wire is in electrical contact with 
the metal of the car and is therefore grounded. In 
making the test on a grounded system care should 
be taken to have the wire or circuit being tested 
disconnected from the metal of the car in all places 
where it is supposed to be so connected, since in this 
case the lamp will light regardless of whether or not 
there is an accidental ground. 

CARBURETION SYSTEM TROUBLES 

MOTOR WILL NOT START 
Trouble Remedy 


No Fuel in Tank (all Systems). 

No Fuel in Float Bowl (all 
Systems). 


Replenish supply. 

Depress priming lever until 
float chamber fills. 


Gasoline Line Shut-off Cock Open. 
Closed. 


Dirt or Water in Float Bowl. 

Dirt or Water in Spray Nozzle. 

Filter on Carburetor Clogged. 
Filter on Fuel Line Clogged. 
Filter in Tank Clogged. 

Fuel Pipe Clogged. 


Stale Gasoline in Float Cham¬ 
ber. 

Poor Mixture Adjustment 
(Too Thin). 

Throttle Lever Disconnected. 


Drain out. 

Clean nozzle out with wire. 

Clean off. 

Remove and blow out ob¬ 
struction with air or steam 
pressure. 

Drain out, refill with fresh 
fuel. 

Open gasoline needle valve for 
richer mixture. 

Replace loose parts. 



90 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


MOTOR WILL NOT START 


Trouble 

Throttle Disc or Shutter Stuck 
Closed. 

No Air Pressure in Fuel Tank 
(Pressure Systems only). 

Cold Motor. 


LOSS OF POWER 
Trouble 

Mixture Too Rich (Black 

Smoke at Muffler). 

a—Needle Valve Regulation, 
No Air Regulation. 

b—Non - Adjustable Spray 

Nozzle. 

c—Adjustable Air, No Gaso¬ 
line Regulation. 

d—Float Chamber Level Too 
High: 

d 1—Dirt Under Needle 
Valve. 

d 2—Float Out of Ad¬ 
justment. 

d 3—Float Leaks (Hol¬ 
low Metal). 

d 4—Float Fuel Soaked 
(Cork). 

e—Gasoline Leaks at Base 
of Spray Nozzle. 

f—Air Filter Screen Clogged. 


Remedy 

Refit so it will move easily 

Pump up pressure with hand 
pump. 

Fill water system with boiling 
water. Wrap hot cloths 
around intake manifold. 

AND MISFIRING 
Remedy 

Cut down gasoline supply. 

Close needle down till engine 
runs well. 

Use smaller bore nozzle or 
supply more air. 

Open up air valve or weaken 
spring, keeping air valve 
seated. 


Remove. 

Adjust for proper height. 

Empty out gasoline. Solder 
leaks. 

Dry out and coat with best 
shellac. 

Screw down tighter. 

Remove and clean. 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


91 


LOSS OF POWER 

AND MISFIRING 

Trouble 

Remedy 

Leak in Wall between 
Mixing and Float 

Chamber (rarely oc¬ 
curs). 

Solder up hole or crack. 

Mixture Too Thin (Popping 
Back in Carburetor). 

Supply more gasoline or cut 
down air. 

a—Needle Valve Regulation, 
No Circulation. 

Screw out needle valve to 
secure more fuel. 

b—Non - Adjustable Spray 

Nozzle. 

Clean out with wire if clogged. 
Use larger bore nozzle. 

c—Adjustable Air, No Fuel 
Regulation. 

Reduce air valve opening by 
tightening air valve spring. 

d—Float Chamber Level Too 
Low. 

Bend float control lever to let 
float rise higher. 

e—Air Leak around Manifold. 

Find crack and braze or solder. 
Replace leaky gaskets. 

f—Air Leak around Inlet 
Valve. Steam Guides in 
Cylinder. 

Rebush if cast integral. Re¬ 
place if removable. 

g—Air Leaks through Pet- 
cocks, Spark Plugs, or 
around Valve Chamber Caps. 

Tighter down in cylinder. 

h—Air Leak in Mixing Cham¬ 
ber or around Throttle. 

Replace gaskets or worn parts. 

i—Dirt in Spray Nozzle. 

Clean out. 

j—Lack of Pressure in Tank 
(Pressure Feed only) : 

* 

j 1—Leaky Pressure Pipe 
Line or Filler Hole 
Cover. 

Inspect all joints. Tighten. 

j 2—Defective Air Pump. 

Inspect drive system and check 
valves. 



92 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


LOSS OF POWER AND MISFIRING 


Trouble 

j 3—Defective Exhaust 

Pressure Regulation 
(on systems without 
mechanical p r e s s u re 
pressure pump). 

k—No Fuel Flow (Gravity 
Systems) : 

k 1—Clogged fuel pipe or 
filter screen. 


Remedy 

Clean out all old oil and 
carbon. Tighten by-pass air 
valve spring. Grind in 
valves. 

Glogged air vent in tank, fuel 
air-bound. 

Remove and clean. 


NOTES ON CARBURETOR ADJUSTMENT 

Assuming that the vaporizer is a standard form 
having both auxiliary air valve and gasoline needle 
adjustment, we will consider the steps for securing 
proper mixture proportions. If clouds of black smoke 
issue from the exhaust pipe, the mixture is too rich. 
The exhaust gas also has a very pungent smell and 
will affect the eyes by making them water. At night, 
a flame will issue from the cylinders or exhaust 
manifold when the muffler pipe is disconnected. The 
value of the mixture can be determined from the 
color of this flame. A red flame shows an excess of 
gasoline, a yellow flash, too much air. When the 
mixture is just right, the flame will be blue, in some 
cases almost invisible. The yellow flame will be ac¬ 
companied by back-firing or popping in the carbure¬ 
tor, this being a positive indicative of too much air, 
or weak ignition. A carburetor delivering a properly 
proportioned mixture will enable an engine to run 
steady at all throttle positions. If an engine will not 
slow down, but runs well at high speeds, there is too 
much air in the mixture, either from poor air adjust¬ 
ment or air leaks. If an engine runs well at low 
speeds but will not accelerate well, it means the 
mixture is too rich. A rich gas tends to heat up an 
engine more than a correctly proportioned mixture.. 





EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


93 


In adjusting a carburetor, first advance the spark 
lever about half way of its travel, and open the 
throttle so the engine runs moderately fast. Shut 
down the needle valve until the engine slows down 
and begins to “pop” back and misfire. This indicates 
that the minimum point is reached in fuel consump¬ 
tion. From this low point open the needle valve a 
little at a time, not more than one-eighth turn, and 
wait a few seconds to see if the motor picks up 
speed. The point at which the motor runs fastest 
without moving control levers, is the best setting. 
To adjust the air valve, open the throttle and advance 
the spark to speed up the engine. Then open the air 
valve up till the motor “pops.” This shows the 
maximum amount of air the mixture will stand, then 
cut down the supply until the engine runs best. If 
the mixture is correct the engine will pick up speed 
gradually and run steadily as the throttle lever is 
moved from low speed to high speed positions. The 
minimum low speed is regulated by the throttle-stop 
screw on the carburetor. 



LOCATION OF ENGINE TROUBLES 


94 EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 
























LOST POWER AND OVERHEATING 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


95 


























LOST POWER AND OVERHEATING 


96 EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 



































LOST POWER AND OVERHEATING 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 97 





























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108 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


PLACING YOUR CAR IN CONDITION FOR 

THE SEASON 

When the time approaches when cars should be 
placed in condition for summer use the question 
naturally arises “ What should be done to the car 
to get it in first class shape for the season’s use?” 
To be told that adjustments and certain repairs 
must be made is proper for instructions to the re¬ 
pairman. However, most of us are very anxious to 
see that our car is in first class condition and, fur¬ 
ther, prefer to do as much of the work as we can 
do, ourselves. 

We realize that the human being must be in good 
physical condition to withstand strenuous exercise. 
We, likewise, appreciate that a car must be in good 
mechanical condition to stand the strain of con¬ 
tinual driving. It is, therefore, necessary for the 
motorist to assume the same attitude toward his car 
as the trainer of an athlete does. It is just as bad to 
drive a car long distances, after the winter months 
of intermittent service, without first thoroughly 
overhauling it as it would be for anyone who had 
not been training for such a strain to go in a long 
cross-country jaunt. 

All winter long you have had the car stored in a 
garage, to await the call of spring, or you have 
driven it about the city streets in the snow, slush, 
water and ice. It has had very little exercise and 
has gotten out of the habit of making long trips. 
Like the human body its joints may be stiff and 
these require attention before it can be expected to 
give satisfactory service. 

Regardless of whether the car has been stored, 
or driven through the winter, it probably needs a 
general renovating. The skill exercised in design¬ 
ing, or the fine sense of discrimination employed in 
the choice of materials, do not guarantee continued 
service, unless the proper attention is paid to the 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


109 


vital units upon which the propulsion of the car 
depends. 

It is the general practice of a good percentage of 
motorists to occasionally check over their car and, 
while there should be a regular lining-up period, to 
secure the best results the car should be given a 
general overhauling and inspection in the spring. 
By overhauling is meant a thorough going over of 
every part of the mechanism and a renewing of 
worn parts so as to put the car in condition for long 
trips again. We cannot expect satisfactory results 
unless we do this, and there is no one to blame but 
the Motorist himself if a serious breakdown results 
from a long grind in the country. When spring ap¬ 
proaches it is, indeed, a temptation to take the car 
on long trips and to avoid the dirty job of “ getting 
under.” However, it will be necessary to do this 
and it may as well be done before you think of 
driving. 

Overhauling does not mean a superficial inspec¬ 
tion of the chassis and body, and the tightening of 
a few noticable loose bolts and nuts. It means a 
thorough and systematic job of putting the whole 
vehicle in the best possible condition. It is quite an 
undertaking and may take a week or more, depend¬ 
ing upon the time put in daily. During the course 
of the past season you may have made certain 
mental notes of things which require attention. 
Itemize these and then plan a systematic method of 
overhauling. 

An ideal arrangement is to take an inventory first, 
to make sure you have a note of all the things you 
were going to attend to when you laid up the car, 
and make sure you have all the tools and supplies 
you will reasonably need for the job. Do your 
errands with the car before you dismantle it. Check 
up your tool kit and see that you have wrenches, 
screw drivers and other necessary equipment that 
your experience has taught you to look for when 



110 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


doing work around your car. See that you have a 
jack and plenty of blocks to support the car, boxes 
for parts, plenty of bolts and nuts, assorted lock 
washers, cotter pins, valve grinding compound, and 
above all, be sure you have enough grease and 
lubricating oil to replace all the old oil that you are 
going to drain out of the motor and other parts. 
Nothing is more discouraging than to get started 
nicely and discover that you must stop for want of 
necessary supplies. You know the condition of the 
brakes, wiring, etc., and if these are to be replaced, 
purchase these supplies before you start the job. 
You will possibly require some gaskets also before 
the job is finished. 

There are various methods which may be con¬ 
sidered in starting the job, but it is advisable to 
start with those that are of most importance. After 
driving the car through the winter, you have a fair 
conception of what units have been the most trouble¬ 
some. If a knock has developed in the motor, then 
start with that unit and determine the cause, as you 
may have to order new parts if a bearing, piston 
pin or piston is the disturbing member. If the 
brakes happen to be in bad condition or the wheels 
are out of line, do this first, as such troubles will 
take the greatest amount of time. If the car is not 
possessed of any chronic ailments, then the place 
to begin is a systematic overhauling of the engine. 

As an article of this kind can only be of a gen¬ 
eral nature, we will assume that the car has no 
chronic ailments and follow a systematic method 
of inspection and overhauling. This systematic 
method may be itemized as follows: 

1. Remove carbon from engine. 

2. Grind valves. 

3 . Adjust valves and replace cylinder head. 

4 . Flush out crankcase. 

5 . Clean gasoline system. 

6. Clean engine and inspect it. 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


111 


7. Care for clutch. 

8. Clean and oil transmission. 

9. Clean and oil universal joints. 

10. Adjust bearings and gears. 

11. Clean and oil differential. 

12. Adjust brakes. 

13. Care for tires. 

14. Renovate chassis. 

15. Clean and polish body. 

16. Care for top and curtains. 

17. Inspect wiring and care for battery and elec¬ 
trical equipment. 

To this we may add any-items which might have 
been recorded in a note-book or mentally, such as 

rusted bolts and nuts, loose spring clips, rattle in 
brake mechanics, loose fender, loose body, minor 
adjustments, etc. 

REMOVAL OF CARBON FROM ENGINE 

At present there are about five methods of re¬ 
moving carbon from the cylinders of a motor ve¬ 
hicle engine, these being by kerosene, denatured 
alcohol, proprietory compounds, oxygen, and by the 
use of special scraping tools. The proper method 
depends somewhat upon the constructin of the en¬ 
gine; however, all modern engines are provided with 
detachable cylinder heads, and, as we know, the 
valves must be ground, and in order to do this the 
cylinder head must be removed, we can readily see 
the advantage of using special carbon scraping tools. 
In fact, the practice of scraping carbon is the most 
thorough way. 

The first step in scraping carbon is to drain the 
water from the cooling system, removing the hose 
connections. Next drain all the oil out of the crank¬ 
case and, if possible, take the cover off the oil pump 
reservoir. All the valves should be removed from 
the engine and the electrical system, carburetor and 
other exposed parts covered with cloth, so that no 



112 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


carbon dust will make its way to these parts. Place 
the valves on a bench in such order so that they will 
be returned to their proper position in the respective 
cylinders. If the carbon is of a gummy nature it 
may be removed with a putty knife; however, if it 
is hard, it will be necessary to use a scraner. First 
use a scraper with a flat bearing surface, drawing it 
back and forth across the piston head, repeating the 
operation until the scratching sensation disappears 
and the surface becomes bright. In doing this care 
must be taken not to gouge grooves into the head 
of the piston. 

First scrape one piston and then brush off the 
carbon dust to prevent it from getting into the 
cylinders. Never turn the engine over until it has 
been removed. A hand bellows or hand tire-pump 
may be used to blow off the carbon dust. 

After the pistons have been scraped, give the 
cylinder head its treatment. Select a scraper which 
fits a portion of the curvature of the cylinder head 
so as to avoid gouging. Continue scraping in all 
directions until the blast of air does not blow out 
any more carbon dust. Remember that the* scraping 
must be done carefully, for too much is as bad as 
too little. If it is not carefully done, the jagged 
edges of carbon, which retain heat from the motor 
explosions, become incandescent and cause pre¬ 
mature firing. 

Your next step is to pour about a half-tumblerful 
of kerosene into each cylinder and turn the engine 
over by hand several times to work out the slight 
amount of carbon on the rings. 

GRINDING VALVES 

The intense heat in the cylinder and the collec¬ 
tion of carbon on the valve seats causes them to 
leak, and the only remedy is to grind the valves so 
that they have a good seat in the cylinder. It is 
not a difficult process to grind valves. It is, how- 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


113 


ever, a slow one and is better done the more patient 
and untiring the operator is. For the benefit of the 
novice the process may be outlined as follows: 

Replace all valves in their respective seats, but 
do not replace springs and spring retainer parts. 

For grinding the valves use one of the valve¬ 
grinding compounds, which can be bought prepared 
and ready to use, or make a mixture of No. 120 
carborundum and cylinder oil to form a soft paste. 

Now. lift the valve from its seat and carefully 
clean off all carbon or dirt. Then smear the cham¬ 
fered edge of the valve with the grinding compound.* 
Replace the valve on its seat and with an oscillating 
motion turn the valve back and forth with a screw 
driver. 

Don’t turn too long on one place but keep con¬ 
tinually lifting the valve from its seat and replacing 
it in another position to thoroughly distribute the 
abrasive material. Do not put too much pressure 
on the valve. A good plan is to put a light spring 
under the valve before putting it in place to grind. 
This spring will lift the valve clear of its seat and 
prevent grinding a ring or a groove on its seat. 
Care should be taken that no grinding paste reaches 
the cylinder walls or valve guides. It is best to 
pack these with waste so that the paste cannot reach 
these places. If the valve squeaks when grinding 
and sticks, and a narrow black line appears with 
grinding compound, on either side, it will be im¬ 
possible to obtain a proper seat by continuing the 
grinding. With a small half round, fine-toothed 
file, remove the black line, being careful not to scar 
that part of the surface which does not show the 
line. Then continue grinding and the valve will 
work to a perfect seat. After grinding the valve for 
a few minutes, remove and examine it; clean and 
wipe frequently; if it is ground properly a light, 
silvery line will show around the valve. If it is not 
ground sufficiently, repeat the operation. When 




114 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


finished, clean the valve and cylinder very carefully 
with gasoline or kerosene. Use great care to clean 
out all particles of dirt. When everything is com¬ 
pleted, remove the waste and seat the valve with a 
few drops of oil under the valve and on the stem. 
Then reassemble the various parts, as they were 
removed, and repeat the operation for each cylinder, 
after which the remaining parts can be replaced. 

Unless the valves are warped as indicated by the 
grinding compound, cutting half the valve only, the 
operation of grinding consists chiefly of cleaning 
carbon from the valve and its seat. The exhaust 
valves will require attention somewhat more fre¬ 
quently than the inlet valves. 

A good way to test for a perfect seat is to draw 
radial pencil lines around the valve about one- 
quarter inch apart. Then seat the valve ,and turn 
it as you did in grinding, and if the valve is per¬ 
fectly ground a portion of all the pencil marks will 
be erased. Any untouched lines indicate an uneven 
spot and more grinding is necessary. 

ADJUSTING VALVES AND REPLACING 
CYLINDER HEADS 

The adjustment of the valve tappets of pushrods 
should follow grinding and before the cylinder head 
is replaced. This can be accomplished by placing a 
thin strip of paper or feeler gauge between the valve 
stem and the push-rod. Now, adjust the push-rod 
until the paper just slips out from between these 
points. Remember, the valve must be closed to do 
this. You are now ready to replace the cylinder 
head. In replacing this head be careful not to dam¬ 
age the gasket, that goes between the casting and 
the head, for if you do there is apt to be leakage of 
compression and there is also a possibility of water 
getting into the cylinders. Do not tighten the head 
bolts down in a haphazard manner for, if you do, the 
casting might crack. The object is to tighten the 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


115 


bolts in such manner as to equalize the strain on the 
casting. 

FLUSHING CRANKCASE 

You had previously drained the crankcase, and the 
oil which was removed is full of dirt and carbon, 
and possibly considerable dirt and carbon has also 
accumulated in the crank case, due to the thicken¬ 
ing of the oil over the winter months. For this 
reason the flushing should be a vigorous one. Use 
plenty of kerosene: in fact, it is often advisable to 
fill the crankcase and keep all drains closed. Turn 
the engine over several times, then open the drain 
cocks and continue turning, so that the compression 
caused by the downward travel of the piston will 
force the ofl out vigorously. By corking the breather 
pipe you can get a still more violent discharge of 
kerosene. The best method is to leave the kerosene 
in over night and drain it out in the morning. When 
flushing be sure that every bit of kerosene is drained 
out for the smallest quantity mixed with fresh lu¬ 
bricating oil will so weaken the oil that it will not 
lubricate properly. 

CLEANING GASOLINE SYSTEM 

The gasoline system consists of the carburetor, 
vacuum tank and piping, together with the gasoline 
tank. Disconnect both ends of all pipes and blow 
through them or run a soft wire through them. 
Clean out the sediment in the traps, etc., for it is 
bad policy to start the summer with a winter’s ac¬ 
cumulation in the traps and strainers. The vacuum 
tank strainer should also be removed and cleaned 
out. Owing to the strong suction of the engine much 
foreign matter is drawn into this trap from the main 
tank and, if allowed to accumulate, it eventually will 
shut off the supply. Remove the carburetor bowl 
and examine all parts to see if any dirt or gummy 
substance has adhered to it. Give the needle valve 
and its seat a careful examination. If either is 



116 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


»e 


blackened or burned, dress off the irregularities very o 
carefully with fine emery paper. Do this carefully, d' r 


as a little too much dressing will give an uneven 
seat. The entire gasoline system should be gone 
over to see that it is absolutely clean. One little 
grain of dirt the size of a pin head, if it works into 
a certain place, may stop the whole system, and you 
would look and look before finding the trouble. 


CLEAN AND INSPECT THE ENGINE 

Nothing will add more to the general appearance 
of your car, when the hood is raised, than a clean 
motor and by keeping it clean you prevent dirt and 
dust, which gathers on it, from working into the 
bearings and adjustable parts where it may cause 
trouble. This cleaning can be done witff a piece of 
waste saturated with kerosene or gasoline which 
has been used for other purposes. A stiff brush is 
very handy to get into the corners. Do not squirt 
gasoline onto the motor as this will remove oil 
from places where it is needed. It is advisable to 
clean the motor outdoors during the day. If you 
must clean it at night never use any other light than 
electricity. 

After cleaning, all polished parts should be 
brushed and brightened; inspect the various bolts 
and nuts to determine whether they are tight; ex¬ 
amine and adjust the fan belt, clean spark plugs 
and inspect ignition wiring. Inspect the ignition 
braker and distributor to determine whether all wir- 
onnections are tight and that the breaker points 


in' 


are clean and properly adjusted. 

No matter whether the ignition system is battery 
or magneto, if the car is to enjoy satisfactory and 
efficient ignition it depends on unhampered genera¬ 
tion of current, correct interruption of primary cir¬ 
cuit, the free flow of current to the spark plugs and 
plugs properly adjusted to furnish a hot spark that 
will cause sufficient combustion. With either system 









EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


117 


we must be sure that all units are properly taken care 
of, although there naturally will be some difference 
in the attention needed to produce correct function¬ 
ing in the magneto and the battery. 

While inspecting the engine see that the hold¬ 
down bolts and those which support the transmis¬ 
sion are tight, while the lower half of the car should 
also be inspected so that oil leaks will not develop. 

CARE OF THE CLUTCH 

The care of the clutch depends largely upon the 
type, and while we can outline general instructions, 
the motorist should consult his instruction book for 
detailed information. If the. clutch is of the cone 
type it should be examined carefully, to determine 
whether the frictional housing has worn down, in 
which case it should be replaced. If it has not worn, 
but if it is crusted with a charred and dirty-looking 
i surface, apply neatsfoot oil and let this soak in. 

Then if the clutch slips you can insert a dose of 
j Fuller’s earth or powdered sulphur. 

Most difficulties with the disc type of clutch will 
1 be found in the discs themselves. If the discs are 
worn and shiny they should be replaced with new 
ones, as this is a safeguard against replacement dur¬ 
ing the season. Give the clutch a good bath with 
kerosene, start the engine and jack up one wheel, 
then throw the car in gear and work the clutch in 
and out until the kerosene is squeezed through the 
plates. Then lubricate those parts which require 
lubricating, such as the thrust bearing, foot pedal, 
shaft bearings, etc. 

CARE OF THE TRANSMISSION 

Transmissions as a rule are not provided with ad¬ 
justments, but should receive a general inspection 
• to see that all bolts are tight, that bearings, shafts 
and gears are in good condition. It should receive 
about the same treatment as the clutch. All the old 
lubricant should be washed out with kerosene; clean 






118 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


the bearings and gear teeth thoroughly. This can 
usually be accomplished with a grease gun filled 
with kerosene, as this will give enough pressure to 
force the lubricant out. If loose bearings or broken 
teeth are discovered, these parts should be replaced. 
Loose bearings or broken gear teeth are attributed 
to carelessness on the part of the owner, in not 
keeping the case filled with lubricant, or reckless 
handling of the car. In refilling the case, consult 
your instruction book as to the proper lubricant and 
its proper height in the case. Hard grease should 
never be used. 

CLEAN AND OIL UNIVERSALS 

The great majority of cars are equipped with me¬ 
chanical universal joints, which should be taken 
apart, examined for wear, and thoroughly cleaned. 
If there is a looseness in the bearings, by all means- 
put in new bushings, or return the joints to the 
makers and have them repaired. Wash the housing 
and all other parts and refill with soft grease. They 
should be filled about two-thirds full to prevent them 
from throwing grease. 

AXLE BEARING AND GEAR ADJUSTMENTS 

If the car has been run a year, the bearings and 
gears of the rear axle will no doubt require some 
adjustment. This gear adjustment, of course, is 
largely a matter of compromise, for, when driven 
by the power of the engine, the tendency of the 
gears is to push themselves out of mesh. When 
coasting or applying the brakes the effect is the 
exact opposite. Thus one must use judgment in 
making the adjustment so that there will be a min¬ 
imum of noise under either condition. As a rule,, 
only slight adjustment is required, and this adjust¬ 
ment must be made by experimenting with several 
trial settings. There are so many different con¬ 
structions for making these adjustments that it is 
impossible to give any rule to follow. We suggest 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


119 


you consult your instruction book, which will des¬ 
cribe the particular construction used on your car. 
If after making a trial adjustment the gears are 
noisy when coasting, they are too deep in mesh, and 
if noisy under power they are too far out of mesh. 
By a cut and try method you will find little difficulty 
in securing the proper adjustment. 

What has been said in reference to cleaning the 
clutch and transmission is also true of the rear axle. 
The differential housing should be thoroughly flushed 
with kerosene and all the old lubricant, use a little 
horse-sense and reason it out whether grease or oil 
is to be used. Your instruction book will specify the 
lubricant; as a rule, semi-fluid grease or heavy oil 
is recommended. 

While on the subject of axles, we suggest you 
examine all the wheel bearings, to determine whether 
they require adjustment and lubrication. Grasp the 
tires on the top edge with both hands and rock them 
vigorously in and out. If a thumping sound is 
heard, the bearings are loose and require adjust¬ 
ment. To make this adjustment remove the hub 
caps and the cotter pins which lock the adjusting 
nut. Then with a light pressure draw the nut up, 
then turn it back about one turn and spin the wheel. 
If there is a drag the adjustment is too tight; if a 
thump still exists it should be readjusted. By all 
means, do not forget to replace the cotter pin after 
the proper adjustment has been found. 

ADJUSTING BRAKES 

Brake construction also varies considerably, and 
while space does not permit of a detailed explanation, 
one must remember that the brakes must be so 
adjusted that there will be an equal pressure applied 
on each side. Regardless of the construction, work 
on the adjustment until you have both brakes as 
evenly adjusted as you know how. It is well to 
start the season with a snug adjustment, especially 





120 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


if it has become necessary to relieve the bands, for 
this may eliminate the possibility of making a mid¬ 
season adjustment. A good way to do the adjust¬ 
ing is to jack up the rear wheels, and have some one 
do the driving while you watch the action of the 
brakes. The service brake should be applied easily, 
and if one wheel stops rotating while the other does 
not, the loose one will require more adjustment. 
The operation must be repeated until both sides of 
either set of brakes take hold simultaneously. 

If the bands are gummed with oil and do not take 
hold properly, squirt kerosene on them to wash out 
this oil; if possible, rough the surface slightly with 
a hack saw blade and then add a little Fuller’s earth. 
If the brakes chatter when they are applied, they 
are dry and need a drop of oil to soften the lining. 
Chattering will also occur if lining is worn or if 
rivet heads touch the brake drum. 

CARE OF TIR^S 

Most every motorist understands the care of tires; 
however, for the benefit of the novice we will en¬ 
deavor to outline the care they require. First wash 
the casing thoroughly, to remove all grease and dirt, 
then go over the surface carefully and, if you find 
a cut, no matter how small, even if an abrasion, the 
injury should be treated. Clean the cut, carefully, 
with gasoline; if sand has worked in, scrape it out 
with the pointed end of a stick. Now, coat this cut 
externally and internally with tire cement; use a 
thin coat and then apply the filler or tire dough. 
Work this carefully into the cut and with plenty of 
pressure. Next examine all your tubes to be sure 
that they are clean and in good condition. If any 
require repairing, do this or have it done imme¬ 
diately. 

RENOVATE CHASSIS 

The next step is to give the chassis a thorough 
cleaning, removing all accumulation of mud and 
grease; examine bolts and nuts to be sure they are 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


121 


ti&ht. A gallon of gasoline, properly handled, will 
ndve the chassis a thorough renovating. In cleaning 
brake cross-shafts, brake connections, spark and 
small parts of the chassis, such as oil holes on the 
throttle connections, etc., use an oil can filled with 
kerosene and a stiff brush. In this way kerosene in 
just the proper amounts'can be directed just where 
it is needed. This method is particularly useful in 
cleaning oil holes which have become partly filled 
with dirt. One of the greatest enemies of the mod¬ 
ern car is vibration. The effect of vibration is to 
loosen the various parts of the mechanism, and the 
immediate effect of this is felt by the driver, who 
realizes that his car is developing numberless noises 
and squeaks, which are far from pleasant accom¬ 
paniment to a drive. Thus it behooves one to elim¬ 
inate all possibility of noise. See that fender and 
running bolts, spring clips, shackle bolts, etc., are 
tight, properly cleaned and those parts which require 
it are properly lubricated. Examine your springs, 
carefully, spread the spring leaves and fill them with 
oil or graphite. In oiling the springs pay especial 
attention to the tips of the sheaves as it is from 
this source that most of the squeaky spring noise 
emanates. 

If during the course of your inspection you dis¬ 
cover spots where rust is accumulating remove this 
and apply a little paint to retard its accumulation. 
Do not forget to thoroughly examine the steering 
gear and steering linkage for defects and worn parts. 
Remember that your life and that of others depends 
upon the condition of this vital control element. 
Replenish the supply of lubricant in the steering gear 
housing and make the necessary adjustments to re¬ 
move any appreciable amount of lost motion. Re¬ 
pack the drag link with grease and lubricate all 
points. Check the front and rear wheels for align¬ 
ment and see that the front wheels have the proper 
amount of toe-in. 



122 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


CLEAN TOP. CURTAINS AND BODY; POLISH 
BODY AND METAL PARTS 

The greater portion of your work has been fin¬ 
ished and you can now turn your attention to the 
appearance of your car. This, of course, includes 
washing and polishing and applying a good dressing 
to the top and side curtains. 

Mud contains substances underlying chemical ac¬ 
tion that tend to corrode and dull the enamel or 
varnish when allowed to remain for any considerable 
length of time. Among the necessities for success¬ 
fully cleaning the body are two sets of each, pails, 
sponges, chamois, and in fact everything connected 
with the washing of a car. The above articles for 
the first washing should be kept separate from those 
for the second washing. 

The water should be applied with a hose, using it 
without a nozzle or a soft wool sponge. If the mud 
has caked very hard, allow it to soak a little by 
playing the stream on it. An easy flow of water 
through the hose will soften the heavy coating, 
which is all that is necessary. 

Following this, a solution of soap dissolved in 
luke-warm water should be used to remove the re¬ 
maining dirt with a soft wool sponge. Care should 
be taken to keep the sponge clean, removing the 
sand and grit frequently, as it will accumulate very 
rapidly and scratch the surface. 

After the surface has been thoroughly cleansed, 
remove the soap by rinsing with clear water. Then 
dry with chamois skin or very soft cloth. Here 
again cleanliness must be observed, because the 
washing does not always remove all the grit. Be 
careful not to let water reach the battery and elec¬ 
trical equipment. Particular attention should be paid 
to corners and crevices, and water which may lodge 
there should be soaked up with a sponge and well 
dried. 

You can next tackle the polishing, and for this 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


123 


we recommend the solid polish usually called a wax, 
as this is a very good and permanent medium. The 
proper application of this polish requires consider¬ 
able work, and the more elbow grease you use, the 
better the job will be. 

If any part of the finished surface has become 
scratched, or chipped and rusted, these should by all 
means be retouched before starting into the driving 
season. Ordinarily a quick-drying enamel can be 
used for this purpose. The neatness of the job will, 
of course, depend upon the care you use in applying 
the enamel. 

The leather upholstering can be cleaned by wash¬ 
ing with luke-warm water and castile soap, then 
rinsing with clear water, using a sponge in both 
operations. The surface should then be wiped dry 
with a piece of soft woolen cloth, after which a 
good leather dressing can be applied. 

Glass fronts and windows can be cleaned by first 
wetting them over with a soft piece of sponge 
moistened slightly with denatured alcohol diluted to 
about one-third its original strength in water and 
dipped slightly into pumice stone flour. Allow this 
mixture to dry, then wipe off with a dry cloth and 
polish with tissue paper. 

The most neglected parts of the car are the top 
and side curtains. Yes, these have an important 
bearing upon the economy of the car and should 
receive their share of attention. 

The top should be cleaned by first putting a little 
castile soap in a bucket of tepid water until a good 
suds is obtained; then wet a soft wool sponge in 
this solution and wash the top, using water plentiful 
enough to start the dirt. Then go over the top with 
clean, soft water, to catch up the traces of alkali, 
finishing up with a chamois skin to dry off. Then 
apply sparingly any top dressing of reliable quality. 
Never fold the top back until thoroughly dry. The 
same treatment can be applied to the side curtains. 



124 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


I 

If the top is not removed from the car it is ad¬ 
visable to clean it before starting on the body in 
order to avoid unnecessary work. If the lights in 
the side curtains are broken, put in new ones, and 
if there are holes or rips in the top, have these re¬ 
placed immediately. 

INSPECTING WIRING AND CARE OF 
BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL 
SYSTEM 

While cleaning the body an ideal time presents it¬ 
self to inspect the wiring, since this is usually at¬ 
tached to the frame and body sills. All points which 
are slightly chafed should be taped to prevent the 
possibility of making contact with metal parts and 
thus forming a short-circuit. Clean the commu¬ 
tator brushes and see that they make proper con¬ 
tact; inspect all functions for loose connections. 
Consult your instruction book and lubricate those 
parts of the electrical system which require lubri¬ 
cation. Your horn may require adjustment, breaker 
points may require cleaning and adjustment, while 
the generator brushes may require adjustment to 
permit the proper charging of the battery. 

The storage battery is the unit which generally re¬ 
quires the greatest amount of attention. You should 
determine the state of charge of the battery, and if 
the car has been idle for any length of time have 
the battery charged, and if any repairs are necessary 
have these attended to immediately. If the battery 
is in a fully charged state it will no doubt be neces¬ 
sary to add distilled water. Corroded terminals 
should be cleaned and given a coating of vaseline. 
See that the hold-down bolts are tight, so that the 
battery cannot be jarred and thus become injured. 

A WORD IN CONCLUSION 

What has been said in this article may seem to be 
quite an undertaking to the novice, but the experi¬ 
enced motorist will readily appreciate starting the 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


125 


season with his car in first-class condition. Be¬ 
ginners should remember the old adage, “ Whatever 
is worth doing at all is worth doing well.” If you 
want a smooth-running car and one that your friends 
will speak about, heed the instructions as outlined 
above. We have endeavored to give detailed in¬ 
structions, whenever .-possible, and it is sincerely 
hoped that you will greatly benefit by our efforts. 

USE YOUR BRAKES WITH CARE 

“Use your brakes intelligently and only when ab¬ 
solutely necessary ” is an excellent motto to have 
printed on the instrument board of every car. The 
average operator, yes, the average skilled operator, 
uses his brakes too much. This wears the brakes, 
racks the mechanism of the car and injures the tires 
—three good reasons why such treatment should be 
avoided. 

Learn to stop your car by coasting to the point 
where you wish to stop. This may be learned with 
a little practice and should always be done on a 
level road. If you find you are going a little too far, 
a light pressure on the pedal will stop you. This 
is far better than dashing up to a place and then 
jamming on both brakes to make a spectacular stop. 
Besides wearing the brake lining and attachments it 
racks the tires severely, sometimes making the 
wheels lock and the tires slide. This wears away 
the tread in one spot. If this is done frequently 
the tread will be ruined and the fabric exposed. A 
tire worn away in this manner cannot be returned 
for adjustment as it has been ruined by abuse. 

When coasting down a hill use the brakes al¬ 
ternately. By changing from service brake to the 
emergency brake the first is allowed to cool, pro¬ 
longing its life. The longer it lasts the less it costs 
for repairs and so the total cost of upkeep is re¬ 
duced. Some cars for mountainous touring have an 
attachment, which injects water on the brakes every 
time they are applied. It consists of a water tank, 




126 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


which must be filled regularly as it is separate from 
the cooling system, and a pump which is fastened to 
a brake rod and so throws water every time the 
brake is used. But changing from one brake to the 
other does not cool the drums on the wheels, as one 
brake operates on the outside and the other on the 
inside of each drum. So it is advisable to relieve the 
brakes as much as possible. 

This is accomplished by using the engine as a 
brake. On a gentle slope stay in high gear with 
engine shut off, and do without the brakes. On a 
steeper grade use the second gear on the first, if 
the car is a heavy one. 

When the emergency is used on a hill it must be 
applied with caution or the brake rods will be 
broken. If the brake is set and the hand removed 
it cannot give when the car passes over water bars, 
etc. At this time the rear axle moves backward, 
owing to the flattening of them, stretching or break¬ 
ing some part. While using the foot-brake the foot 
automatically yields to the strain, but if the emer¬ 
gency brake is set it cannot yield. 

Where one brake rod passes through a tube carry¬ 
ing the other they may become frozen, that is, stuck 
together if they are not properly lubricated. Be 
sure that the grease cups are turned down at least 
one turn a day. If they do become seized, remove 
the lower part of the grease cup and force kerosene 
into the hole with an oil gun, working the brakes 
meanwhile to loosen them. 

Look over the equalizers, if they are provided, and 
adjust the rods to the same length to insure best 
action. If brake lining is badly worn watch the 
workman while he replaces it, and perhaps the next 
time you can do it yourself. 

Test the brakes occasionally by speeding up and 
then applying. If the car keeps on or swerves to 
one side the brakes need adjusting. A better way to 
test them is to jack up both rear wheels and apply 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


127 


the emergency brake a few notches, enough to grip 
the wheels firmly. Try both wheels to see if they 
turn easily. If one turn more readily than the other 
that one must be tightened. To test the foot-brake, 
a jack may be applied to hold it in position, but it 
will be better to have a helper if one is available. 

DOES THE SPARK LEVER MEAN ANYTHING 

TO YOU? 

The average motorist is apt to regard the car’s 
electrical system as a subject for individual of high 
mentality and assumes that without a prolonged 
technical education, he has ho chance to comprehend 
its mysteries. 

When car owners understand the principles of the 
electrical apparatus, and the proper care of its im¬ 
portant nuts and parts, they will find that it is not 
hard nor difficult. What is more, they usually de¬ 
velop a pride in being able to keep their car in first 
class condition and in rendering “first aid” without 
having to depend upon mechanics. 

One of the most abused and misunderstood Darts 
on an automobile is the spark control lever. The 
amateur driver retards the spark when starting his 
car and moves it upward when the engine starts 
running. Why? Simply because he has been told 
to do so. That it should be adjusted according to 
speed and road conditions, or even moved at all, 
once the engine is started, is beyond his comprehen¬ 
sion. He knows, of course, that this lever controls 
the spark and the spark explodes the firing mixture 
in the cylinders but just why it should be advanced 
or retarded is something which most motorists do 
not understand. To know that economy, safety in 
starting, and numerous other things depend upon 
its proper use should stimulate the car driver to 
familiarize himself with at least a slight working 
knowledge of the electrical system. 

In ordinary driving the position of the spark lever 



128 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


need not be changed except for unusual road condi¬ 
tions after it is once set to run through a consider¬ 
able range of speed. The condition is best found by 
the driver adjusting and experimenting with the 
particular range adapted to his type of car. 

In going up a heavy grade nine out of ten drivers 
“ rush ” their car because they do not want to shift 
the gears. True, it is nice to skim over the top of 
a steeo hill, but just how long will your engine 
stand for this abuse before it begins to voice its 
disgust in knockts and rattles? Just how much 
rubber has been chewed from the tires as they ob¬ 
tained traction for that rush? And how much gaso¬ 
line was consumed in the getawaj^? 

The “ knock ” from an engine laboring up hill is 
due to the fact that the spark occurs on the com¬ 
pression stroke and the explosion meeting the piston 
tries to force it back, thus producing a sharp metallic 
thump. This “ knock ” would not occur on a level 
road unless the car was loaded, for the crankshaft is 
turning so rapidly that the piston has time to pass 
dead-center and start on the down stroke by the 
time the pressure of the explosion is effective. At 
all times the spark should be kept as far advanced 
as possible without causing the engine to “knock” 
for a low set spark tends to overheat and carbonize 
the engine. 

Get acquainted with the sound of your engine. 
Determine the point of spark advance which is most 
efficient and economical. By so doing you will ob¬ 
tain greater power at a less cost per mile. 

CLEANING THE COOLING SYSTEM 

After driving a car all winter in a climate which 
makes necessary the use of anti-freeze solution, the 
cooling system should be cleaned out thoroughly 
before the warm weather comes on. This is a simple 
task and in many cases a necessary one. because it 
seems that no matter what kind of anti-freeze solu- 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


129 


tion is used, a certain amount of sediment is bound 
to settle in parts of the system or adhere to the 
cylinder and radiator walls in such a manner as to 
interfere to a greater or less extent with efficient 
operation of the cooling system. Add to this the 
sediment that always results from heating yvater in 
any kind of vessel, from a teakettle to a steam boiler, 
and the reason for cleaning the cooling system is 
quite apparent. 

Many methods of cleaning the cooling system have 
been suggested from time to time by various people,, 
but some of them are questionable because there is 
danger of injuring the radiator on account of the 
caustic chemicals used. The following method can 
be recommended as being absolutely safe and at 
the same time will give the cooling system a thor¬ 
ough flushing that will remove practically all loose- 
foreign matter. 

First, drain the system by means of the pet-cock 
in the bottom of the radiator. Then turn a hose in 
the filler cap of the radiator to admit a moderate 
stream of water. Next start the motor and let it 
idle at a fairly good rate of speed having the pet- 
cock in the bottom of the radiator open all the time. 
This will not only flush out the water jackets and 
the radiator, but because of the fact that the motor 
is running the water pump will be kept in action 
and will send a good stream of water all through the 
system, flushing it out thoroughly. 

After this is done, examine the hose connections 
from the cylinders to the radiator, to see that they 
are in good condition. It so happens that anti¬ 
freeze solution will have a bad effect on the inside 
of the hose, while from the outside it will be ap¬ 
parently as good as ever. A fairly reliable test is 
to press the hose firmly between the fingers. If it 
seems good and firm it is probably in good condi¬ 
tion. If it is weak and flabby it may be sucked to¬ 
gether from the force of the water pressure and 




130 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


either partially or completely cut off the circulation 
of the water. 

Some drivers seem to think that simple anti-freeze 
solutions made from water and alcohol do not need 
to be removed, assuming that the alcohol will evap¬ 
orate in time and the addition of water will be suffi¬ 
cient. 'This is not true, because while the alcohol 
will evaporate, the sediment will remain. As a 
matter of fact, the cooling system should be flushed 
out once or twice a season, whether anti-freeze solu¬ 
tion is used or not. 

TRADING IN THE OLD CAR 

The power plant of a good car will continue to 
function well years after the top and the finish on 
the body have become very shabby. In fact, many 
cars are “ traded in ” just when the power plant is 
at its best. All mechanics know a new piece of 
machinery doesn’t bperate smoothly and at full effi¬ 
ciency until it has been run for some time. Mean¬ 
while. the paint, varnish, lacquers, etc. put on to 
make it look attractive in the show room have lost 
their pristine newness. 

It’s all very well to get a new car every year if 
one can afford it, but many do it who cannot afford 
it, and it really isn’t necessary in most cases. An 
examination will generally show that the power 
plant is in good shape, and the surface shabbiness 
will readily yield to the skilled minstrations of an 
auto painter and top-maker. And a new top and new 
coat of paint costs a lot less than a new car. 

This is not an argument in faVor of keeping a 
car in service for several years. After the power 
plant begins to deteriorate, repair bills mount up; 
annoying breakdowns on the road become too fre¬ 
quent, and it then becomes economical to replace 
the old car with a new one. but such replacement 
is by no means necessary as often as many car 
owners seem to believe. The painter and trimmer 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


131 


can work wonders with a car showing signs only of 
surface wear. 

It’s very true in the auto industry that “willful 
waste causes woeful want,” and it is waste to discard 
a perfectly good auto power plant just because the 
outer shell doesn’t look as spick and span as it 
might. That defect is too easily remedied. 



132 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


TO LOCATE FORD POWER PLANT 

TROUBLES 


Motor Will Not Start or Starts Hard 


DEFECTS IN MOTOR MECHANISM 

Leaky Head Gasket —This can be remedied, some¬ 
times, by inserting some kind of cardboard in be¬ 
tween the copper metal or get any good packing and 
cut a gasket to fit and insert it. This will serve for 
temporary repairs. 

Water in Cylinders —Gasket may be at fault or 
cylinder may be cracked. If the cylinder is cracked 
it can oftentimes be remedied by “ planing ” the 
crack with a light hammer and a punch. 

Seized Pistons or Dry Pistons or Piston Rings 
Gummed to Cylinders —If pistons are seized remove 
spark plugs and pour in some coal oil. Put in high 
gear. Then in cranking exert all the power you can 
on the crank shaft. If this brings no results have 
some one tow your car a short distance still leaving 
engine in high gear. This will often break the 
pistons loose. Then put enough of oil in cylinders 
and crank case until the engine smokes. You can 
then drive your car at a medium rate of speed. For 
dry pistons or pistons gummed to cylinders put 
plenty of oil in cylinder. For exceptionally stubborn 
cases you can proceed the same as for seized pistons. 

Valve Stuck —If valve stems are stuck squirt coal 
oil on the stems. Then take a screw-driver and try 
and turn valve and stem crank over motor. If this 
fails remove the stems and clean them with emery 
cloth. 

Valve Gears Out of Time. —If timing has never 
been removed this trouble is usually caused by some 






EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


133 


broken part in it. It is advisable, in such a case, to 
have them examined by an expert repairman. 

Broken Crankshaft —About the only remedy that 
can be advised, in this instance is to be towed to the 
nearest garage or repair shop. Sometimes a broken 
crankshaft can be welded and the cost of a new one 
saved. 

Broken Exhaust Valve Spring or Broken Inlet 

Valve Spring —This trouble has often been remedied 

by taking a piece of spring wire and inserting one 

end in the small hole in the valve stem and then 
% 

bending in a U shape. Allow the other end to rest 
under the valve guide. This will work on either 
valve. 

FUEL SYSTEM FAULTS 

No Gasoline in Tank —Fill tank with gasoline. 

No Gasoline in Carburetor Float Chamber— 

This comes from shut off valve being closed; dirt 
in strainer; gas line stopped and water in line or, if 
in winter, line frozen. 

Tank Shut Off Closed —To remedy this open it up. 

Clogged Filter Screen —This must be cleared and 
cleaned out. 

Fuel Supply Pipe Clogged —Clean this out by 
using compressed air to blow out the obstructions. 

Gasoline Level Too Low —This can be remedied, 
if it happens upon a hill, by turning around and 
backing up the hill. 

Gasoline Level Too High or Bent or Stuck Float 
Lever —This may be caused by a leaky float valve 
or a loaded float. To remedy same turn off at stop 
cock (or shut off valve) until you get the right 
amount to flow. 

Loose or Defective Inlet Manifold. —-Tighten mani¬ 
fold. If gaskets are leaky make some out of some 
good light fire test packing or, if upon the road, you 
can use card board and shellac or cup grease. 

Not Enough Gasoline at Jet or Water in Carbure- 



134 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


tor Spray Nozzle or Dirt in Float Chamber— 

To remedy the above you must thoroughly clean 
out any dirt or obstructions by using compressed air 
and blowing out. 

Cylinders Flooded With Gas or Fuel Soaked Cork 
Float—To remedy this you must shut off the flow of 
gasoline at the stop cock, or shut off valve, until 
you get the right amount to flow. 

Gas Mixture Too Lean—This will be noticed by a 
popping noise under the hood. The remedy is to 
turn on more gas at the adjusting valve. 

IGNITION SYSTEM TROUBLES 

Coil Switch Off—You must turn this switch on. 

Loose Terminal—These loose terminals must be 
tightened. 

Magneto Wire Shorted—This can be fixed by at¬ 
taching ftew wire. 

Magneto Defective—This can be temporarily over¬ 
come by connecting four dry cell batteries to battery 
terminal. 

Broken Spark Plug Insulation—Put in new por¬ 
celain or new plug. 

Plug Points—Take plug out and thoroughly clean. 

Spark Plug Points Too Near Together or Too Far 
Apart—If these are too close together the engine 
will miss on an idle throttle. If too far apart the 
engine will miss on an open throttle. A good gauge 
to go by will be to set them apart about the thick¬ 
ness of an old dime. 

Stuck Master Vibrator—This is caused by the 
points becoming pitted. Clean with sand paper or 
emery cloth. 

Wrong Cables to Plugs —A Ford fires 1, 2, 4, 3. 
Place cables to correspond. 

Short Circuited Secondary Cable—When this oc¬ 
curs you must wrap the cable with tire tape. 

Broken Secondary Cable—Either put on a new 
cable or splice the old one. 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


13S 


Battery Weak —When this appears it is time to 
have your battery recharged. If you have lately had 
same recharged then look for short circuit. 

Tinier Segments Dirty or Poor Contact at Switch 
or Poor Contacts at Timer—The remedy here lies 
in thoroughly cleaning them off. 

Primary Wires Broken or Short Circuited— 
These wires are inside of coil and can not be re¬ 
paired. They will have to be replaced by new ones. 

Dry Battery Grounded by Short Circuited Wire— 
In remedying this you will have to remove the wire 
which is causing the short circuit. 

Battery Connectors Broken—About all that can be 
done here is to either splice the old ones or replace 
them with new. 

Loose Battery Wire—You must tighten this up. 

Defects in Induction Coil—If this should occur it 
is best to obtain a new coil as it is a very hard 
matter to repair an old one. 

Ignition Timing Wrong, Spark Too Late or Too 
Early—This will be noticed by loss of power and 
will get hot if too late. If too early engine will 
knock and kick when you use hand crank. 

Defective Platinum Points on Coil Vibrator.— 

To remedy this you will have to thoroughly clean 
and adjust them. If this fails to give relief you will 
have to put in new ones. 

Broken Timer Contact Roller Spring.—There is, 
usually, enough of the spring left so that you can 
stretch it and hook it in place. This will serve for 
an emergency repair. 

No Contact at Magneto Collector Plunger.— 

Take it out and thoroughly clean it. If, upon re¬ 
placing it, you still have this trouble it is due to its 
being short circuited. 

Vibrator Platinum Contact Points Burnt or Pitted. 

Remove and clean the points with sand or emery 
paper. 





138 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


will have some parts of the transmission broken. If 
such is the case you will be due for a trip to the 
garage by tow car route. 

Sheared Key in Cam Gear Operating Valve Mech¬ 
anism.—Take off valve covers at side of motor. 
Turn engine and if valves do not move there is 
something wrong in timing gear case. This usually 
requires an expert mechanics work. 

MOTOR STOPS GRADUALLY 

Fuel Supply Pipe Partially Clogged.—Disconnect 
pipe at tank and carburetor and blow out with com¬ 
pressed air, or foot pump, and clean of obstruction. 

Air Vent in Tank Filler Cap Stopped Up.—Use 
pin or wire to open vent hole in filler cap. If there 
is no hole in filler cap get one drilled in it. One 
sixty-fourth of an inch in size will be large enough. 

Float* Needle Valve Stuck.—Sometimes you can 
jar valve loose by tapping on the side of the car¬ 
buretor. If it continues to stick, however, have it 
thoroughly examined for other trouble. 

Water or Dirt in Spray Nozzle.—Blow out with 
air. If this does not produce results take the car¬ 
buretor off and clean it. 

Mixture Adjusting Needle Jarred Loose.—Open 
about yi of a turn. Most valves have a lock nut 
tightener so it will not open or close too much. 

Loose Terminal at Magneto.—Tighten with pliers. 
The ends will be found under hood on dash and on 
top of transmission cover. 

Valves Stuck Qpeta.—Take some coal oil and 
squirt on valve stems. Insert screw driver through 
spark plug hole and push down. Do this several 
times and it will free valve for a short time. 

Motor Overheating Due to Defective Oiling.— 
Pour in oil until motor smokes. If this does not 
remedy same have your oiling system thoroughly ex¬ 
amined. 

Spark Advance Rod Broken.—Take some small 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


139 


pieces of wood 4 or 5 inches long and cut them to 
fit rod. Lay wood length ways with rod and wrap 
with string or wire or your handkerchief torn in 
strips. This is an emergency repair but will serve 
to keep you going until you arrive at your destina¬ 
tion when better repairs can be made. 

Sticking Coil Vibrators.—This may be caused by 
pitted points. Clean points with sandpaper or emery 
cloth. 

MOTOR RACES 

Control Rods Broken.—Proceed in this case ex¬ 
actly as explained for “ Spark Advance Rod Broken.” 

Leaky Carburetor Flange Packing.—Loosen pack¬ 
ing nut and wrap string about packing or take 
ordinary string and wrap around pipe and replace 
nut. 

Throttle Not Closing.—The control rod at car¬ 
buretor is broken or has jumped out of place. Some¬ 
times a small piece of cloth gets in through the air 
valve and lodges on throttle dampener. This does 
not allow it to close or dampen. Take carburetor 
off to repair same. 

Timer Case Stuck in Advance Position.—Take it 
off and clean case. Put a little oil on bearing sur¬ 
face, where it has its bearings, then replace. 

Clutch Slips.—Take off inspection cover or trans¬ 
mission cover. You will find three adjusting screws. 
Take out cotter pin and give each adjusting screw 
one-half or a whole turn. Replace cotter pins. Be 
very careful you do not drop cotter pins in case. 

Transmission Brake Band Slips.—On the right 
side of transmission you will find a lock nut and 
screw. Back nut off to left a few turns then turn 
adjusting screw to right a few turns. Lock nut and 
try. If the results are not satisfactory repeat till 

you have proper adjustment. 

Bevel Pinion Driving Key Sheared Off.—This re- 





138 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


will have some parts of the transmission broken. If 
such is the case you will be due for a trip to the 
garage by tow car route. 

Sheared Key in Cam Gear Operating Valve Mech¬ 
anism.—Take off valve covers at side of motor. 
Turn engine and if valves do not move there is 
something wrong in timing gear case. This usually 
requires an expert mechanics work. 

MOTOR STOPS GRADUALLY 

Fuel Supply Pipe Partially Clogged.—Disconnect 
pipe at tank and carburetor and blow out with com¬ 
pressed air, or foot pump, and clean of obstruction. 

Air Vent in Tank Filler Cap Stopped Up.—Use 
pin or wire to open vent hole in filler cap. If there 
is no hole in filler cap get one drilled in it. One 
sixty-fourth of an inch in size will be large enough. 

Float* Needle Valve Stuck.—Sometimes you can 
jar valve loose by tapping on the side of the car¬ 
buretor. If it continues to stick, however, have it 
thoroughly examined for other trouble. 

Water or Dirt in Spray Nozzle.—Blow out with 
air. If this does not produce results take the car¬ 
buretor off and clean it. 

Mixture Adjusting Needle Jarred Loose.—Open 
about 24 of a turn. Most valves have a lock nut 
tightener so it will not open or close too much. 

Loose Terminal at Magneto.—Tighten with pliers. 
The ends will be found under hood on dash and on 
top of transmission cover. 

Valves Stuck Open.—Take some coal oil and 
squirt on valve stems. Insert screw driver through 
spark plug hole and push down. Do this several 
times and it will free valve for a short time. 

Motor Overheating Due to Defective Oiling.— 
Pour in oil until motor smokes. If this does not 
remedy same have your oiling system thoroughly ex¬ 
amined. 

Spark Advance Rod Broken.—Take some small 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


139 


pieces of wood 4 or 5 inches long and cut them to 
fit rod. Lay wood length ways with rod and wrap 
with string or wire or your handkerchief torn in 
strips. This is an emergency repair but will serve 
to keep you going until you arrive at your destina¬ 
tion when better repairs can be made. 

Sticking Coil Vibrators—This may be caused by 
pitted points. Clean points with sandpaper or emery 
cloth. 

MOTOR RACES 

Control Rods Broken.—Proceed in this case ex¬ 
actly as explained for “ Spark Advance Rod Broken.” 

Leaky Carburetor Flange Packing.—Loosen pack¬ 
ing nut and wrap string about packing or take 
ordinary string and wrap around pipe and replace 
nut. 

Throttle Not Closing.—The control rod at car¬ 
buretor is broken or has jumped out of place. Some¬ 
times a small piece of cloth gets in through the air 
valve and lodges on throttle dampener. This does 
not allow it to close or dampen. Take carburetor 
off to repair same. 

Timer Case Stuck in Advance Position.—Take it 
off and clean case. Put a little oil on bearing sur¬ 
face, where it has its bearings, then replace. 

Clutch Slips.—Take off inspection cover or trans¬ 
mission cover. You will find three adjusting screws. 
Take out cotter pin and give each adjusting screw 
one-half or a whole turn. Replace cotter pins. Be 
very careful you do not drop cotter pins in case. 

Transmission Brake Band Slips.—On the right 
side of transmission you will find a lock nut and 
screw. Back nut off to left a few turns then turn 
adjusting screw to right a few turns. Lock nut and 
try. If the results are not satisfactory repeat till 

you have proper adjustment. 

Bevel Pinion Driving Key Sheared Off.—This re- 




HO 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


pair can not be made upon the road as, to be fixed, 
it requires the rear axle to be taken apart. 

MOTOR WILL NOT SPEED UP 

Air Choke Valve in Carburetor Pipe Stuck Shut.—■ 

Take a screw driver and push leaver on outside to 
open point. If small spring is broken wire, or tie 
open, with string. 

Pistons Bending in Cylinder—If motor has been 
overhauled the pistons may have been fitted too 
close. Put lots of oil in crank case and about one 
gallon of oil to every five gallons of gasoline. Work 
in gently and when motor turns free you can speed 
up. 

Not Enough Oil in Engine Base.— If you are out 

upon the road and are unable to obtain oil put some 
water in the crank case until the connecting rods 
dip in ®il. This raises the oil supply as oil is lighter 
than water and, therefore, by pouring water in it 
raises the oil level. This will take you for a few 
miles. When you obtain oil run off old oil and 
water, dry out, and replenish with fresh oil. 

Bent or Sticking Valve Stem.—If valve stem is 
bent you must take it out and straighten. If stick¬ 
ing take some coal oil and squirt it on the stem. 
Insert a screw driver through spark plug hole, push 
down and turn engine. Valve will come up. Do this 
until valve works freely. 

Too Much Play in Valve Operating Plungers,— 

To overcome this put in new ones. 

Too Much Space Between Valve Stems and Push 
Rods.—Get some adjusting caps at some good Auto 
Supply House and follow directions on the box. 

Valves Timed Late.—This requires the services of 
an expert mechanic. 

Spark Timed Late.—Work from No. 1 cylinder. 
Turn engine until intake valve opens and closes. 
Then turn until piston is on top, dead center. Move 
timer case slowly until you have vibrator buzzing 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


141 


and spark jumps from No. 1 spark plug wire. Have 
your spark lever in retarded position then set your 
rod so it will go in timer case hole. 

Throttle Stuck Closed.—If this should occur take 
throttle apart and clean it. 

Timer Casing Stuck in Retard Position.—When 
this happens see if you have holding clamps too 
tight. Control rod may also be broken or jumped 
out of place. 

Worn Fibre Ring in Timer.—Replace with a new 
one. 

Binding Contact Roll Bell Crank.—Take it off and 

wash out in gasoline. Put oil on hanging point and 
work until free. If the roller is cut put in a new 
one. 

Binding Slow Speed or Reverse Band.—Take off 
small plate on transmission cover. On outside and 
right side you will find a lock nut and adjusting 
screw. Loosen nut and turn adjusting screw to left 
until band is free. Work reverse pedal so you can 
locate it. You will also find, inside, a small ad¬ 
justing nut. Turn it to left until band is free. 

Dragging Brakes in Rear Hubs.—Sometimes your 
brake levers are rusted so they will not release. 
Get them to work free by taking a hammer and 
tapping them and also squirt coal oil on them. Do 
this until they work freely. 

MOTOR WILL NOT STOP 

Throttle Remains Open.—The control rod is 
broken or jumped out of place. 

Spark Interrupting Switch Out of Order.—Pull 
out choke rod and that will flood motor and it will 
stop. Have switch repaired. 

Incandescent Carbon Deposits Fire Charge.—It is 
time to remove carbon or have it removed. 




142 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


MOTOR SPEEDS UP SUDDENLY 

Timer Casing Jarred Advanced.—Control rod is 
broken or has jumped out of place. 

Clutch Slipping or Released.—Be sure that emer¬ 
gency lever is front as far as it will go. If this 
does not remedy matters look for trouble in clutch 
adjustments. 

Throttle Has Jarred Open.—Control rod is broken 
or has jumped out of place. 

Driving Pinion Teeth or Driving Key Sheared.— 

This is a job that will require a mechanic as the rear 
axle must be taken apart. You will have to be 
towed in when this happens upon the road. 

MOTOR RUNS IRREGULARLY 
OR MISFIRES 

Defects in Motor Mechanism. Carbon Deposits 
in Combustion Chamber.—Carbon deposits will 
cause the motor to knock and the small edges will 
become incandescent and will ignite the charge be¬ 
fore the proper time. Scrape out carbon or have it 
burnt out with oxygen. 

Weak or Broken Valve Springs.—The best thing 
to do in this case is to put in new ones. 

Stuck Valve Stems.—Squirt some coal oil on 
stems. Take a screw driver and push valve down. 
Turn engine so as to lift valve. Continue this until 
valve works freely. If you have time to do so take 
valves out and clean them with emery cloth. 

Carbon Under Valve Heads.—Sometimes you can 
cut the carbon by turning valve in closed position. 
It is best, however, to take them out and clean them. 

Worn Push Rod or Guide.—The best thing is to 
have them replaced with new ones. 

No Clearance Between Valve Stem and Plungers. 
—Screw down adjusting nuts and screw. If this does 
not remedy matters file some off of end of valve 
stem. 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


143 


Air Leak in Inlet Pipe.—Cut out some new gask¬ 
ets. Use some asbestos with fine wire woven in 
packing or get new gaskets. 

Broken Cylinder Head Gasket.—Put on a new one 
if possible or cut one out of any good packing and 
shellac same. In an emergency you can use card¬ 
board and cup grease. 

Air Leak Through Inlet Valve Guides.—About the 
only way to remedy this is to put in new ones. 

FAULTS IN FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM 

Carburetor Float Chamber Getting Dry.—The sup¬ 
ply pipe or the strainer is clogged. Remove and 
clean out with compressed air or foot pump. 

Water or Dirt in Gasoline.—Drain tank and car¬ 
buretor and wash it out. Dry tank and strain gaso¬ 
line through chamois. 

Poor Gasoline Adjustment.—Turn adjusting valve 
until the motor runs smoothly. 

Not Enough Gasoline in Float Chamber.—Float 
may be too low. Have some one who understands 
carburetor to make adjustments. 

Too Much Gasoline, Carburetor Flooding.—Turn 
off at shut off valve until you think you will have 
enough to run. 

IGNITION SYSTEM FAULTS 

Loose Wiring or Terminals.— Go over all wires 
and tighten those needing same. 

Timer Case Loose on Engine.— Tighter crank. 

Broken Porcelain Spark Plugs.—Put in new one. 
Always carry some new plugs. 

Spark Plug Points Sooted or Oily.— Clean with 
gasoline and stiff brush. Take knife and scrape por¬ 
celain. 

Wrong Spark Gap at Plug Points.—Spark plug 
points should be set apart about the thickness of an 
old dime. 



144 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


Leaking Secondary Cables.—Wrap with tire tape 
and replace with new ones as soon as it is possible. 

Prematurely Grounded Primary Wire.—In this 
case it is best to put in a new coil. 

Weak Magnet- in Magneto.—Take out and have 
remagnetized or replace with new ones. 

Poor Adjustment of Contact Points at Spark Coil 
Vibrator.—Points should be so adjusted so as to 
have one thirty-second, or less, lift. 

Wire Broken Inside of Insulation.—This can be 
found by taking wire and feeling every inch of it. 
You can splice until you are able to get a new one. 

Pitted Platinum Points on Vibrator.—These can 
be smoothed with a file but be very careful to keep 
them even. 

Weak Spring in Timer.—You can shorten it or 
put in a new one. 

Dirt Under Magneto Collector Plunger.—Plunger 
will be found on top center of transmission cover. 
Take it out and clean it. 

Worn Fibre Ring Roll and Segments in Timer.— 

You will get better results, in this instance, by put¬ 
ting on a new timer. 

Gummed Oil in Timer.—Wash out with gasoline. 
Wipe out good and dry and allow gasoline to evap¬ 
orate. Then put a little oil on same. 

MOTOR NOISY IN ACTION 

Mechanical Depreciation Producing Knocking. 
Foreign Matter in Engine, Such as Loose Nut in 
Engine Base.—Take off oil pan and remove foreign 
matter and loose nuts. Try and find out where these 
different articles came from and repair same. 

Carbon Deposits in Combustion Chamber.—Carbon 
deposits will easily cause motor to knock on a hill. 
Keep retarding spark lever until it stops knocking 
and if you find you loose power it is a sure sign 




EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


145 


that you need carbon removed either by scraping or 
burning out. 

Incandescent Spark Plug Points or Carbon Par¬ 
ticles. —This will cause the charge to ignite before 
the proper time. Clean plugs and remove carbon. 

Loose Wrist Pin Bearings. —Put in new pins and 
bushings. 

Loose Connecting Rod Big End Bearings. —Adjust 
connecting rod bearings. 

Worn Main Bearings. —Adjust main bearings or 
put in new ones. 

Piston Worn Permitting Side Lap. —Put in over¬ 
size pistons. 

Cylinder Worn Out of Round. —Have rebored. 
Put in new oversize pistons and rings. 

Cylinder Head Retention Bolts Loose. —Tighten 
these bolts. 

Play in Valve Operating Mechanism. —Put in a 

complete new outfit and your noise will be elimi¬ 
nated. 

Timing Gears Worn. —Put in new ones. 

Loose Flywheel. —Take motor out and tighten up 
flywheel. 

Poor Oil or Lack of Oil. —Use a good grade of 
oil and keep it up to the proper level. This is an 
important feature. 

Piston Rings Tight— Piston rings should never be 
put in so that they will become “ tight.” When they 
get hot they naturally will expand. If you have this 
trouble, however, take them out and file them off 
on the ends. 

Worn Pinion Bushings in Gearset. —Put in new 

ones. 

MIXTURE TROUBLES 

Too Much Gasoline, Mixture Rich. —Turn off on 
adjusting valve until motor runs smoothly. 

Carburetor Float Chamber Flooding.— Turn off at 





146 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


shut off valve until you think you have about the 
right flow of gas. 

IGNITION TROUBLE 

Spark Timed Too Early.—Reset spark or you 
carry it too far advance. 

OTHER CAUSES OF KNOCKING 

Climbing steep hills on High Gear. Use second 
gear. That is what it is for. 

Overheating Due to Defective Cooling —This is 
due to a loose fan belt; cooling system clogged or 
not enough water in the radiator. It is a good idea 
to take 2 or 3 pounds of washing soda and put it in 
the radiator filling cap and then run motor until it 
gets hot. Loosen* hose at bottom of radiator and 
let the water out as rapidly as you can. Then rinse 
out with clean water. This will clean your cooling 
system very thoroughly. Tighten your fan belt if it 
needs it. 

Hissing and Squeaking Sounds. Broken Porcelain 
or Spark Plug.—Put in a new plug. 

Spark Plug Leaks.—Tighten same. 

Loose Joint Between Motor and Exhaust Mani¬ 
fold.—Tighten or put in new gaskets. 

Valve Spring Chamber Covers Loose.—Tighten 
them up. 

Leaking Cylinder Head Packing.—Put in new 

packing. 

Poor Lubrication.—Put in lots of oil and good oil. 
It is cheapest in the end. 

Muffler Leaking or Ruptured.—Have it repaired or 
put in new one. 

Broken Piston Rings.—Put in new ones. 

Popping or Blowing Back in Carburetor. Incor¬ 
rectly Timed Inlet Valves.—Have a good mechanic 
to reset valve. 

Inlet Valve Not Seating.—Regrind valves. 

Dirt Under Inlet Valve Seat.- Regrind valve. 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


147 


Not Enough Gasoline.—Open needle valve until 
motor runs smoothly. 

Spark Retarded Too Much.—Advance spark to 
proper position. 

Contact Points on Vibrator or Timer Roll and Seg¬ 
ments Pitted.—Clean contact points or put in new 
timer roller and case. 

MUFFLER EXPLOSIONS 

Mixture Not Exploding Regularly.—Too rich a 
mixture; or bad plugs; or bad valves; or ignition is 
faulty, etc. 

Exhaust Valve Sticking.—Take out and clean stem 
with emery cloth. Regrind valve. 

Dirt Under Exhaust Seat.—Regrind valve. 

Wrong Cables to Plugs.—Mark your cables to find 
out how your motor fires. Watch inlet valves open 
and close. Ford fires, 1, 2, 4, 3. 

GRINDING NOISES 

Worn Timing Gears.—Put in new gears. 

Defective Cylinder Lubrication.—Not enough oil 
in crank case. Put more in. 

Worn Driving Gears.—This comes from their not 
being properly adjusted. 

MOTOR LOSES POWER 

Causes of Poor Compression. Loose Spark Plug. 

—Tighten plug. 

Defective Cylinder Head Gasket.— Put in new 

gasket. 

Cracked Piston or Cylinder.—Some times you can 
have this welded. You can be sure, however, by 
putting in new ones. 

Leaky Valves.—Regrind. 

Warped Valve Heads.—Put in new ones. 

Piston Ring Joints in Line.—Take piston out and 
put joints opposite. 

Head Casting Loose on Cylinder.—Tighten same. 




148 


EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


OTHER CAUSES OF LOST POWER 

Exhaust Valve. Lift Insufficient. —Adjust or get 
adjusting caps and follow directions on box. 

Inlet Valve Lift Insufficient. —Follow directions, 
as above, for exhaust valve lift. 

Choked Muffler. —Take apart and clean. 

Carbon Deposits. —Clean out carbon. 

Tight Bearings. —Adjust correctly. 

Cylinder Dry or Overheated. —Put in more oil. 

Oil Too Light. —Use heavy oil in summer time 
and medium oil in winter time. 

Oil Carbonized at Too Low a Temperature.— 
This will not happen if you use a good grade of oil. 

Overheating Due to Driving with Retarded Spark. 
—Advance spark. 

Overheating Due to Racing Motor on Low Speed 
Gear. —When you use low gear do not race motor. 

Overheating Due to Too Rich Mixture. —Cut down 

on your needle valve. 

Oil Feed Interrupted. —Clean out system. Put in 
fresh oil about every 1500 to 2000 miles in summer 
time. In winter time every 800 to 1000 miles. The 
above applies if you use your car hard and stop 
and start often. 

Fan Belt Loose or Broken. — Tighten fan belt. 
If on the road and you should happen to lose your 
fan belt you can make one by using the belt you 
have around your body and using a little wire to 
lace same the proper length. 

No Water in Radiator. —Keep radiator well sup¬ 
plied with water. Like yourself, it needs a drink 
often. 



EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


INDEX 

PAGE 

Carburetion System Troubles. 89 

Motor Will Not Start.'.. 89-90 

Loss of Power and Misfiring. 90-92 

Notes on Carburetor Adjustment. 92-93 

Cleaning the Cooling System.128-130 

Does the Spark Lever Mean Anything to 

You? .127-128 

Emergency Aids . 10-34 

Battery Dead, Dry Cells Used on Ignition. 10-34 

Battery Weak and No Crank. 11-12 

Brake Band Frozen. 14 

Brakes Slipping. If 

Broken Chain, Broken Gear Shaft and 

Frozen Cylinders. 32-34 

Broken or Lost Fan Belt. 20-21 

Broken Spring Repaired. 18-19 

Burnt Out Fuse. 12 

Clutch Slipping. 16 

Spring Broken on Distributor Head—Diffi¬ 
culty Overcome. 2G-28 

Faulty Gasket in Cylinder Head—A Jinx 

Engine Reformed. 29-30 

Front Connecting Rod Bearings Burned 

Out . 19-20 

Ignition Key Lost...,.. 14 

New Motor Refuses to Run—Defective 

Gasket in Intake Manifold. 30-31 

No Chains . 13 

How to Tow When Wheels Are Locked 

—Practical Knowledge Saved Tourist.. 25-26 

Radiator Hose Clogged. 21-23 

Rear Wheel Collapses. 11 

Rusted Clincher Casing Stuck to Rim. 24-25 

Starting “Killed” Engine. 17-18 






























EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


PAGE 

Substitute Wheel Puller. 17 

Water Made to Produce Oil. -23-24 

Every-Day Aids . 35-55 

A Back Firing. 49 

A Broken Front Wheel. 54 

A Broken Steering Arm. 54 

A Car Refusing to Start With Self Starter. 50 

A Graphite Preparation. 37 

A Eoose Cam Shaft. 46 

A Eoose Connecting Rod Bearing. 48 

A Loose Fly Wheel. 46 

A Loose Piston . 46-47 

A Loose Piston Pin. 46 

Anti-Glare in Headlights. 39-40 

A Slipping Clutch. 5* 

A Thumping Noise Sounding as Though 

in Clutch . 53-54 

A Vacuum Tank Refusing to Work. 55 

Broken Ball Bearings. 55 

Causes of Auto Accidents and Losses.. 44 

Distributor Head Can Become Gummed.. 50 

Don’t Be a Clutch Rider. 36 

During Compression. 37 

Failure of the Oil Pump. 47 

Failure to Wash a Car. 43 

Frozen Radiator. 52 

Gravity Fed Carburetor and Car Stops on 

Hill. 54 

How to Remove Carbon from Cylinders... 38-39 

If a Car has a Pop Noise. 48 

If a Gear is Stripped in Transmission. 53 

If a Leather Clutch Burns Out. 53 

If a Multiple Disc Clutch Starts Slipping. . 53 

If You Have a Short Circuited Condenser.. 47 

If Your Motor Should Misfire. 48 

If Your Motor Should Stop. 49 

If Your Motor Stopped Dead. 48- 

If Your Oil is Low in Your Motor. 47 


































EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


PAGE 

In Case of a Burnt Out Bearing. 47 

In Case Your Motor Will Not Start. 50-51 

Inspect the Pet Cocks. 36 

In Case of Incorrect Timing. 37 

In Tightning Spark Plug Nuts. 49 

Keep a Record of Factory Number . 43 

Lights Going Out. 55 

Locating Engine Knocks. 45 

Loose Connecting Rod. 45 

Loose Valve Tappets. 47 

Making Your Car More .Efficient. 42-43 

Make Sure That the Spark Plugs Fit Tight. 36 

Make Your Motor Upkeep Less Expensive 35-36 

Overcharged Batteries. 40-41 

Quick Road Repair on Broken Axle. 52 

Sometimes New Vibrators Will Not Work 50 
Special Care should be taken with Connec¬ 
tions in Lamps. 37 

Stripped Differential Gears. 54-55 

The Main Bearing Knocks. 46 

The Piston Rings. 36 

The Top of a Gasoline Tank. 49-50 

To Prevent Radiator from Freezing. 39 

Upholstery Should be Washed. 43-44 

What Becomes of a Dollars Worth of Gas¬ 
oline . 44-45 

What Causes a Boiling Radiator. 52 

What Would You Do for a Badly Leaking 

Radiator . 51-52 

When Giving Your Car a Layoff. 41-42 

When the Grease Works Through Axle 

Housing . 52-53 

When Your Car Stops. 48-49 

Hints for Locating Df.gco Troudges . 72-83 

Defects In Components. 73 

Storage Battery . 73 

Care of the Battery. 74 

Faults In Motor and Generator. 74-76 
































EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


PAGE 

Setting Brushes on Generators. 76 

Setting Brushes on Motors. 77 

Ignition Coil Test. 77 

Third Brush Adjustment. 77-78 

Troubles with Lamps. 78-79 

Circuit Breaker Adjustment. 79 

Starting Switch. 79 

High Resistance. 79-80 

Engine Runs Irregularly or Misfires. 80 

Ignition System Parts. 80-83 

Pertinent Dont’s. 82-83 

Introductory . 3-4 

Location of Engine Troubees. 94 

Lost Power and-Overheating. 94-98 

Defects in Cooling System. 99 

Defects in Components. 100 

Radiator . 100 

Circulating Pump. 101-102 

Water Piping. 102 

Cooling Fan. 103 

Engine . 104 

Oiling System Faults.105-107 

Lubrication . 64 

Engine Lubrication.. 64-66 

Electrical Apparatus. 66 

Clutch . 66-67 

Change Speed Gear. 67-68 

Rear Axle. 68-69 

Wheel Bearings. 69 

Springs . 69 

Steering Gear. 69-70 

Control Members. 70 

Draining Used Lubricant. 70-71 

Use Good Motor Oil. 71 

Regulation of Oil Pressure Important. 71-72 

Placing Your Car in Condition for the Season 108 
Removal of Carbon from Engine. 111-112 







































EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


PAGE 

Grinding Valves.112-114 

Adjusting Valves and Replacing Cylinder 

Head . 114-115 

Flushing Crank Case. 115 

Cleaning Gasoline System.115-116 

Clean and Inspect the Engine.116-117 

Care of the Clutch. 117 

Care of the Transmission.117-118 

Clean and Oil Universals. 118 

Axle Bearings and Gear Adjustment.118-119 

Adjusting Brakes.:.119-120 

Care of Tires. 120 

Renovate Chassis.120-121 

Clean Top, Curtains, Body, Etc.122-124 

Inspecting Wiring, Battery and Electrical 

System . 124 

A Word in Conclusion.124-125 

Rattgers that Warn. 5 

Loose Fenders. 6 

Tire Rim Noises.6 

Squeaky Springs. 6-7 

Missing Motor. 7-8 

Loose Brake Bands. 8 

Humming Speed Gears. 8 

Loose Steering Rods. 8-9 

Vibrating Doors. 9 

Loose Brake Rods. 9 

Tapping Valve Rods. 9-10 

Starting and Lighting System Troubees . 83 

If Starter Will Not Turn. 83 

If Starter Turns Motor but Motor Will 

Not Fire . 83-84 

All Lights Go Out, Ignition Fails; Starting 
Motor Dead, Ignition Fails; Starting 
Motor O. K., Ignition and Starting 
Motor O. K.; Ignition Fails, Lights and 
Starting Motor O. K . 85 

































EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


PAGE 

Generator Test. 85-86 

Starting Motor. 86 

All Lights Go Dead. 86-87 

One Light Goes Dim, One Light Flickers, 

Tail Lights Go Out, Head Lights Go 

Out, One Head Light Goes Out. 87 

Grounds and Short Circuit. 88 

The Test Lamp. 88-89 

Tire Talks . 57 

Spare Tires. 57 

When Leaving Car Unattended. 57 

Oily Floors of Garages. 57 

Don’t Oveload Your Tires. 57 

Small Tire Cuts. 57 

Use of Spare Tires. 57-58 

Running on Ftat Tire. 58 

Oil on Tires. 58 

Forcing a Tire on Wheel. 58 

Pinching an Inner Tube. 58 

Straight Side Tires on Clincher Rims. 58 

Pumping Tire Properly. 58-59 

Spare Tube Unprotected. 59 

Use of Talc.... 59 

Placing Tube in Casing. 59 

Punctures . 59 

Underinflation . 59-60 

Oversized Tires and Advantages. 60 

Suggestions for Tire Users. 61 

Missalignment . 61-62 

Tread Cuts.. 62 

In the Garage.... 62-63 

Scraped Side Walls. 63 

Scraped Tread. 63 

Use of Chains. 63 

Running in Car Tracks. 63-64 

A Warped Rim Replaced on Wheel. 64 

To Locate Ford Power Plant Troubles. 132 






































EMERGENCY AIDS FOR MOTOR CARS 


PAGE 

Motor Will Not Start or Starts Hard. 132 

Fuel System Faults.133-134 

Ignition System Troubles.134-136 

Motor Stops Without Warning.136-138 

Motor Stops Gradually.138-139 

Motor Races.139-140 

Motor Will Not Speed Up.140-141 

Motor Will Not Stop. 141 

Motor Speeds Up Suddenly.'. 142 

Motor Runs Irregularly or Misfires.142-143 

Faults in Fuel Supply System. 143 

Ignition System Faults.143-144 

Motor Noisy in Action.'.144-145 

Mixture Troubles.145-146 

Ignition Troubles. 146 

Other Causes of Knocking.146-147 

Muffler Explosions. 147 

Grinding Noises. 147 

Motor Loses Power. 147 

Other Casues of Lost Power. 148 

Use Your Brakes With Care.125-127 

Trading in the Oed Car.130-131 

Work Aids . 55 

Clean Nails.-. 55 

To Restore Brightness in Celluloid. 56 

Use of Soap for Sealing Leaks. 56 

Removing the Wheels. 56 

Leaking Radiator Cap. 57 






































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